


Find My Way Back to You

by Eicartgeorge



Series: It's Just a Matter of Time [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/M, Flashbacks, Gen, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2018-06-23
Packaged: 2018-09-02 23:40:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 55
Words: 139,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8688094
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eicartgeorge/pseuds/Eicartgeorge
Summary: Stiles and Lydia get back to their own time, but thanks to a few mishaps along the way, the timeline got messed up and things are completely different when they return. But, then again, it's not like they realize it, because just as Elbie told them, they don't remember a damn thing.* This story's chapters alternate between flashbacks and present day.*Flashbacks are basically a complete rewrite of seasons 1-5.





	1. Flashback 1.1

**Author's Note:**

> This version of the story is the way I originally intended for it to be read. I've gotten some feedback on fanfiction.net that some find it confusing, or that they don't care too much about what happened before, so I'm also posting the stories separately as part of the _Find My Way Back to You_ Series. To read just the AU flashback chapters go to _What If?_. To read just the present day chapters picking up where IJAMOT left off, go to _Now What?_. 
> 
> It starts with a flashback to set up some of the relationships in the story. All flashback chapters are written in italics and each flashback is a different episode.

_Scott heard the front door close, a sign that his mother was leaving for work. Two seconds later, someone was barging into his bedroom._

_Scott jumped and held the lacrosse stick that he'd been threading, like he was going hit the intruder with it._

" _God, I've been waiting for her to leave for like...ever!"_

" _Stiles! What the hell?!"_

" _What?" Stiles asked, slightly confused._

_Scott lowered the stick and sighed. "Why do you continue coming in without asking? What if I was..." He paused. "Needing privacy."_

" _Then you would have locked the door." Stiles shrugged. "That's what I do." Scott made a face, as if he was being told too much information. "Anyway, Dad left about 20 minutes ago."_

" _I know. I heard." Scott stood and sat the lacrosse stick down._

" _Well, did you hear_ why _he left?"_

" _No...Listening in on his calls is what_ you _do best. He always knows when_ I'm _there." Stiles grinned mischievously, and Scott groaned. "Oh no...what happened?"_

" _They called in all of the Beacon department and even state police. Two joggers found a body in the woods."_

" _A dead body?" Scott asked with a hint of shock._

 _Stiles rolled his eyes. "No, a body of water. Yes! A_ dead _body."_

" _You mean like...murdered?"_

" _No one knows. Just that it was girl. Probably in her twenties."_

_Scott thought about what Stiles was saying. "Wait, if they found the body, then what are they looking for?"_

" _That's the best part." Stiles said giddily. "They only found_ half. _Come on, get dressed_."

" _But," Scott started with a sigh. "Kayce is already asleep and we can't leave her alone. Plus, I was kind of hoping to get a good night's sleep before lacrosse practice tomorrow."_

" _One, Lydia is already on her way over here to stay with Kayce. And two, tryouts will be fine."_

" _For_ you _maybe."_

" _You were on the team last year."_

" _Yeah, but I sat on the bench the whole time."_

" _Really? There was that one time that..."Scott shook his head slowly. "No? Oh..." The doorbell rang and Stiles's excitement came back full force. "That's Lydia! Get dressed! We're going!"_

_Stiles heard him groan in frustration as he bounded down the stairs and swung the front door open._

" _So, what's this emergency that you and Scott have to take care of in the middle of the night?" She didn't sound concerned as she walked into the house. Mostly because she knew these boys way too well, and if there had been an_ actual _emergency he wouldn't have sent her a vague text._

" _There was half of a body found in the woods." He said with excitement._

" _Anyone we know?"_

_Stiles shrugged. "Don't know yet."_

_Lydia rolled her eyes and looked up to see Scott coming down the stairs. "Hey, Scott."_

" _Hey, Lydia." Scott gave her a sympathetic smile._

" _I didn't get a 'hey'" Stiles said with mock hurt._

" _Your 'hey' was implied." She told him as she started walking toward the kitchen._

" _Okay, just make yourself at home!" Stiles called._

" _I always do!" She replied from the next room._

" _Let's hurry up and get this over with." Scott said, as he walked out the door._

" _That's the spirit!" Stiles pumped his fist as he grabbed his keys and followed Scott out the door._

" _So," Scott began once he and Stiles were on the road headed toward the preserve. "I know that I've asked you before, but it's been awhile. What's up with you and Lydia?"_

" _I'll give you the same answer I gave you when you asked me last time. We're friends. I mean...she's my_ best _friend."_

" _I thought_ I _was your best friend."_

" _No, you're my brother. There's a difference." Scott raised his eyebrow. Stiles noticed and decided to rephrase. "And by brother, I mean, you were my brother_ before _we were brothers."_

" _Awe... thanks, man."_

" _Don't mention it." Stiles hit him on the arm in order to 'man up' their conversation. "But yeah... Lydia? Friends."_

" _With benefits?"_

" _No!" Stiles gasped abruptly._

" _Whoa, sorry. It's just... you guys flirt...a lot. Like, all the time."_

" _Yeah, well that's just how we've always acted around each other."_

" _Have you ever-"_

" _No." Stiles answered before Scott could finish his sentence._

" _-thought about it?"_

" _Wait, thought about what?"_

" _Having sex with Lydia."_

 _Stiles scoffed. "I'm a guy! And Lydia's hot. Of course I've_ thought _about it."_

" _Even when you..."_

" _DUDE! That is none of your business! Where is this conversation even headed?"_

" _I don't know, I just think you're secretly in love with each other."_

" _Well, I mean... I love her. I'm just not_ in _love with her."_

_Scott nodded. There was silence for a moment before he said, "Have you ever kissed her?"_

" _I'm done with this." Stiles was pulling over onto the side of the road._

" _Wait, why are we stopping here?"_

" _Dude, if we park where everybody else is, then they're going to find us. The point is to not be noticeable."_

_Scott sighed. "True." The boys got out and Stiles grabbed the flashlight that he kept in his jeep._

" _Come on, this way."_

" _Do we even know which half of the body we should be looking for?"_

" _Huh," Stiles said. "No. I didn't think about that."_

" _And what if whoever killed the body is still out here?"_

" _Didn't think about that either." Stiles jogged ahead and Scott struggled to keep up, breathing sounding wheezy and coming in short spurts._

" _Maybe you should have thought about letting the severe asthmatic hold the flashlight?" He said, reaching for his inhaler._

_Stiles suddenly got low to the ground as he saw flashlights search the area. Scott ducked next to him. The lights passed and Stiles quickly stood up. "Come on!" He called to his brother as he took off running._

" _Stiles! Wait up!" Scott called as he tripped over himself trying to get off of the ground._

_Stiles kept running until he realized he didn't hear anybody behind him. He turned to see where Scott was when he heard loud barking. He whipped back around and jumped, falling to the ground as he backed away from the dog._

" _Hold on," Stiles heard his father's voice before he saw him. "This delinquent belongs to me."_

" _Hey...Dad." Stiles said as he pushed himself off the ground._

" _Do you listen in to all my calls?"_

" _No...not the boring ones."_

" _Is your brother out here too?"_

" _Who? Scott?"_

" _Unless there's another brother I don't know about."_

_For once, Stiles bit his tongue rather than making a smart remark about his father being with plenty of women in his day. "No, Scott's at home. Someone had to stay with Kayce, and he said he wanted to get a good night's rest before school tomorrow."_

" _Scott! Are you out there?" Silence. The Sheriff grabbed his son's shoulder and began leading him away. "I'm going to take you back to your car and we're going to talk about something called Invasion of Privacy. What were you thinking?" Stiles tuned out most of what his father was saying on the way back to the jeep. The sheriff sighed as he opened the driver's door for his son. "Just, be safe out there. The roads are wet."_

" _I will, Dad." He replied and he stepped into the jeep._

" _Good. Now go home..._ straight _home." His dad said as he closed the door for his son._

" _I will, Dad." He was going to wait in the car for Scott to come find him, but apparently his dad was still suspicious and he was going to make sure Stiles left. Stiles started the jeep and began driving, watching the side mirror and waiting for his father to go back to the search party. He stayed. Stiles thought about turning back around once he had driven so far that he could no longer see the speck that his dad had turned into, but he knew that if he did, the Sheriff would still be there to catch him in a lie. Whether it was the lie that Scott was actually still stuck in the woods, or the lie that Stiles said he was going home._

_He came to a stop light and pulled out his phone to text Scott._

Sorry, buddy. Dad watched me leave, so I couldn't wait. Headed home. Text if you need me.

_He hit 'send' and the light turned green. It was only about a 30-45 minute walk home if he took the right shortcut. Scott would be fine._

_Stiles sighed and thought back to his and Scott's conversation from earlier. He had never taken time to think about Lydia and him in that way. Sure, they had gotten bored and made out before, but it was strictly platonic. People made out with their best friends all the time, right?_

_Something told him he may have been wrong about that._

_He finally got home and saw Lydia sitting on the couch. Her strawberry blonde hair fell in curls down her shoulders and her green eyes turned to look at who had just walked in._

" _Did you find it?"_

" _Again, with the no 'hey' thing."_

" _I'm sorry. Let me rephrase._ Hey _, did you find it?"_

_Stiles closed the door and shook his head. "No."_

" _Where's Scott?" She seemed slightly concerned._

" _He fell behind. We ran into my dad. Scott was hiding so I covered for him, but then my dad made me leave so I couldn't wait for him. I told him to text if he needed me."_

" _Should I stick around then?"_

_Stiles shrugged. "If you want to." He plopped down next to her on the couch. Lydia readjusted so that she was leaning against him and he draped an arm around her. "So, how was she?" He asked and nodded toward the stairs._

" _Good. I haven't heard a peep. Besides, you weren't gone for that long." Stiles took a moment to look at Lydia. Really look at her. She was beautiful; he'd always thought so. She was smart and funny. He made her laugh and she made him laugh. They'd made out on occasion. So then why hadn't they given dating a shot?_

_Lydia's phone buzzed and she looked at the text, blushing and giggling._

" _Who are you texting?" Stiles ask teasingly._

" _Wouldn't you like to know?" She say coyly. She tried to hide her phone, but he saw the name at the top . Aaron. And suddenly, he remembered why they had never giving dating a shot. It was because Lydia Martin could get any guy she wanted, and every single guy she dated was 100 times hotter than Stiles. Why would he even bother trying?_

" _Who's Aaron? Aaron Gardner? From the lacrosse team?"_

_She shrugged. "Maybe."_

" _So what," he went back to teasing her. "Are you guys dating now?"_

" _We're_ talking _."_

_Stiles made a disgusted noise. "I hate that term 'talking'. You and I are talking right now."_

" _You're just jealous." She smirked._

" _Of what?" He laughed._

" _Of me talking to the captain of the lacrosse team."_

" _And why would I be jealous of that?"_

" _Because you think that if I get a boyfriend, then I'll stop hanging out with you." He balked. That thought hadn't occurred to him until now. Thanks a lot, Lydia. She turned serious. "Don't worry. You're my best friend. We're Stiles and Lydia. We're Stydia. We're a team. And no guy, or girl, can come between that. Besides," She grabbed his face with one of her hands in a way that made his lips pucker. "I would miss this face too much."_

" _Stiles?" They heard from the top of the stairs. Stiles looked up at his six year-old sister standing in her nightgown, holding a teddy bear. "I had a bad dream."_

_He turned to Lydia and stretched. "Big brother duties call." Kayce met Stiles halfway down the stairs and he scooped her up. "Come on, Nugget." He turned back to Lydia. "If I don't see you before you leave, be safe. The roads are wet." He quoted his father._

" _Don't worry about me."_

" _I do." He told her. "You're my best friend. I don't know what I would do without you." He gave her a small smile and finished taking his sister up the stairs and into her room._

* * *

_When Scott got home, the house was silent. He turned the lights off downstairs and went to Stiles's room first, praying that the door wasn't locked after what he had learned. The knob turned and he opened the door to see his brother's bed empty. Huh. His jeep had been in the driveway, so where was he? He had a thought and walked to his little sister's room. Scott laughed and pulled out his phone to take a picture of the two of them. Kayce always flip-flopped around a lot in her sleep and what had presumably started with a tiny girl nuzzled up to her big brother, was now big brother with tiny girl's foot pressed into his face. Scott decided he wasn't going to wake him up. The bed was way too small for a guy Stiles's size, which would lead him to being in pain in the morning, and now he had blackmail. This was what he got for leaving Scott stranded out in the woods to get bitten by wild animals._

_He went to his mom's medicine cabinet and dressed his wound before going to bed._

" _Oh my God!" Stiles yelled as he barged into Scott's room the next morning. Scott, who had been leaning over to grab his book bag, jumped when the door opened._

" _Jesus, Stiles!" He clutched his chest._

" _Thank the Lord!" Stiles hugged his brother. "Are you alright?" He spoke softly as he took a step back to look at him._

" _Well, except for getting bit by a wild animal I'm fine."_

" _What?! Where?"_

" _In the woods, dumbass."_

_Stiles rolled his eyes. "I mean where on your body?"_

" _My side." Scott said placing a hand over the bite._

" _Can I see?"_

_Scott grabbed the hem of his shirt when Melissa appeared in the doorway. "Hey, boys! Are you getting ready for school?"_

" _Yes ma'am." Stiles responded._

" _Mom, what are you doing home right now? You shouldn't even be off for another hour."_

" _I left early. I wasn't feeling well."_

" _Are you okay?" Scott asked with concern._

_Melissa laughed. "I'm fine, Scott. Don't worry. You guys should leave, or you'll be late. Remember you have to take Kayce to school today."_

" _We're on it." Stiles said then saluted. Melissa shook her head and walked away with a smile. He turned back to Scott. "Just show me when we get to school."_

_The teenagers walked downstairs and their little sister was at the kitchen table._

" _Come on, Kayce" Scott addressed his sister, while Stiles grabbed four pieces of toast. Scott turned to him. "Are you seriously eating four?"_

" _Uhh..."Stiles looked at the toast in his hand. "No?" He sounded unsure."I mean... I got two for you!" He handed two pieces over and Scott looked at him suspiciously before taking them. When Scott turned around, Stiles turned to his little sister and shook his head, mouthing, 'I didn't get them for him.' Kayce giggled and covered her mouth. Scott turned back to them, toast in his mouth. Stiles looked up with raised eyebrows and shrugged as if he didn't know why she was laughing. "Let's go, guys!"_

_Stiles led his siblings out the door and to the jeep. Scott pulled his seat up so that Kayce could climb into the back and they all piled in._

_When they got to Kayce's school, Scott leaned forward so that she could jump out. She had started back the week before, otherwise their parents would've been there._

" _Have fun!" Stiles called._

" _Don't get into any fights!" Scott added._

" _Unless they hit you first, then you defend yourself!"_

" _Stiles!" Scott scolded him, then turned back to his sister. "No fighting! Use your words."_

" _And remember, just say 'no'!"_

" _She's six." Scott told him a creased brow._

" _Hey, that is a very shady elementary school."_

" _It's a private school."_

_He shook his head. "I don't trust it."_

_Scott shook his head and turned back to Kayce. "I love you!"_

" _I love you more!"_

_Kayce, who had been walking away the entire time, finally turned back to her brothers. "Guys, you're so embarrassing! You're worse than mom and dad."_

" _Bye!" Stiles called again, before Scott rolled up the window. They stayed in the parking lot until she was inside the school, then drove off. "Kids," Stiles commented. "They grow up so fast."_

_When the boys got to the high school, they climbed out of the jeep and Stiles turned to his brother. "Okay, let's see it."_

_Scott looked around and pulled up the hem of his shirt to reveal the large bandage. Stiles made a face. "Yikes! What do you think it was?"_

" _I think it was a wolf."_

" _A wolf bit you? That's not possible."_

" _Well, I heard a wolf howling."_

" _No you didn't."_

" _Well, what makes you so sure?"_

" _Because there haven't been wolves in California in like 60 years."_

" _Well, if you don't believe me about the wolf, then you're not going to believe me when I tell you that I found the other half of the body."_

" _What?! Are you kidding me?"_

" _I wish. I'm going to have nightmares about it for a month."_

" _This is great! This is seriously the best thing that's happened in this town since-" Stiles looked up and saw his best friend coming their way. Louder, so that she could hear, he said "Since the birth of Lydia Martin!" Lydia linked her arm through Stiles's and kept walking, spinning him around slightly. "Hey, sweet thang, Can I get yo' digits?" He licked his lips playfully._

" _Hmm." Lydia pretending to think about it. "Interesting tactic. But I'm gonna pass." She chuckled then turned to look at Scott who was trailing behind them. "So, I see Scott made it back alive."_

" _Yeah, with a chunk missing out of my side."_

" _What?"_

" _He got bit by an animal in the woods." Stiles answered._

" _What kind of animal?" Lydia asked._

_Stiles stole a glance at Scott before telling her, "He swears it was a wolf."_

_Lydia shook her head. "There are no wolves in California."_

_Stiles turned to look at Scott with a cock of his head as if to say 'See?' "That's what I told him."_

_Scott groaned. "I_ heard _a wolf."_

_The three of them had first period English together. Lydia sat in the front of one of the rows,Stiles sat behind her, and Scott sat behind him._

" _Okay," Mr. Curtis began. "I'm sure you have all heard by now there was indeed a body found in the woods last night. Now, I'm sure you're trying to come up with various macabre scenarios as to how it happened, but I've been told the police have a suspect in custody..."_

_Lydia turned around to face Stiles who shook his head. He didn't know anything. He turned to Scott. Scott was looking down, until he felt two sets of eyes on him. He looked up and saw Stiles and Lydia both staring at him as if he was supposed to know who this mystery suspect was. He shrugged. "How am I supposed to know that?" He whispered._

_Stiles tilted his head and turned to Lydia. "He has a point."_

_Lydia just rolled her eyes and turned back in her seat to face the front._

_Mr. Curtis was telling them to read something so Stiles was doing as he was told. After a few moments a door opened and the principal walked in with a brunette._

" _Class, we have a new student. This is Allison Argent. Please make her feel welcome."_

_The seat on Stiles's right was open, so Allison walked over and sat down there._

" _Hi, I'm Lydia." His best friend said as she turned to the new girl._

" _Hi." She smiled._

" _I'm Stiles."_

_Scott only held out a pen. Allison quirked an eyebrow and slowly took the pen. "Thanks."_

_Stiles raised an eyebrow at his brother, then exchanged glances with Lydia. Sometimes his brother was incredibly strange._

* * *

" _So, where did you get that jacket?" Lydia asked when she caught up with Allison after school._

" _Oh, my aunt was a buyer for a boutique back in San Francisco."_

_Lydia's eyes widened and a smile slowly formed on her face. "And you are my new best friend."_

_Allison laughed. "Well, that was easy. And who said making friends was hard?"_

_Lydia chuckled. "Hey, I'm having a party on Friday. Did you want to come? It's a back to school bash, I throw one every year."_

" _Oh, um.. I'll have to see. We_ literally _just moved. I've still got boxes that need to be unpacked."_

" _Look," Lydia said, chuckling again. "I was semi-kidding about the best friend thing. I'm not a crazy person. You don't have to commit to anything, but you'll get to meet a lot of people. Everyone will be there."_

_Allison smiled. "I'll think about it."_

" _Good. What are you doing right now?"_

" _Um, I was going to go home."_

" _Come to practice with me."_

" _Practice for what?"_

" _Lacrosse. A bunch of sweaty, hot guys running around with their shirts off. Not much can be better."_

_Allison shook her head. "I don't know anything about lacrosse."_

" _I'll teach you. Come on!"_

_Allison nodded. "Okay."_

_Lydia led her out to the field where some of the guys were already starting to warm up. When they sat down on the bleachers she scanned the field so see who all she knew there. She made eye contact with Stiles, who blew her kisses. She 'caught' them and held her hand to her chest. He drew a heart in the air. She flipped him off. He wiggled his eyebrows at her and she just shook her head and laughed._

" _Is he your boyfriend?" Allison asked._

" _Who? Stiles?" Allison nodded. "Everyone thinks that." Lydia told her as she shook her head. "But no, we've known each other forever. He's my best friend. And since I've been throwing that term around a lot since I met you, he's like my actual best friend. Like best of all best friends"_

" _Is he gay?" She asked._

" _What?!" Lydia cackled. "Oh my God! No...why would you think that, though?"_

_Allison smiled. "I don't know. In my experience, you can't have a straight male best friend for too long before things get weird. Plus, you guys are both pretty attractive people. I just figured it would have been difficult to stay best friends."_

" _You know," Lydia began as she looked at Stiles. "You're right. I guess he is kind of cute."_

" _Kind of?" Allison asked. "In my opinion, he's one of the hottest guys out there."_

_Lydia raised her eyebrows. "Oh? And who's the other one?"_

_Allison blushed, as she realized what she had said, and knew that Lydia picked up on it. She sighed. "That one. In the goal. He's in our English class too. He gave me a pen today."_

_Lydia saw who she was pointing to. "Oh, honey." She said sympathetically._

" _What?" Then Allison seemed to understand. "Oh, is_ he _gay?"_

_Lydia laughed again. "No. He's Stiles's brother."_

" _What? But they look nothing alike!"_

" _Well, they're step-brothers. Scott's dad died when he was 6. He was in the FBI and he was killed while on an undercover assignment. Stiles's mom left him and his dad when he was 7, but she passed way about five years back. Scott's mom and Stiles's dad got married almost 8 years ago. The boys have a little sister named Kayce who's six and she's like the cutest thing ever. Oh my God!" Lydia said suddenly and pulled out her phone. "I was over at their house last night and Kayce had a bad dream, so Stiles went to take her back to her room and then he just disappeared for a long time. So I went to make sure everything was okay, and I saw this. " Lydia held out her phone. "Stiles doesn't know I took it yet." The picture was Stiles laying in his sister's pink princess bed, feet dangling off the side, with the little girl curled up against him._

" _Oh my goodness!" Allison cooed. "That's adorable."_

" _Right?" Lydia locked her phone screen and put it away._

" _So, they both like kids?"_

" _Well they both love their sister, that's for sure."_

_Allison nodded and they turned their attention back to the field. "They both seem like they're really good."_

" _Yeah," Lydia agreed. "I'm surprised by Scott, though. Last year, he wasn't very good... like at all." Lydia scanned the field again. "Oh! That's Aaron Gardner. He's the team captain."_

" _Is_ he _your boyfriend?"_

" _No, he's gay." Lydia deadpanned._

_Allison's eyes widened. "Really?"_

_Lydia chuckled. "No. That was a joke, but his best friend, Danny, is." Lydia pointed him out. "But, the real answer to your question, is still no... he's not my boyfriend... not_ yet _anyway."_

_Allison nodded before her eyes fell back on Scott and Stiles. "So, brothers, huh?"_

" _Yep, so I'd be careful about who you pick."_

" _Oh, I'm not_ picking _anyone. "_

" _You keep telling yourself that, Sweetheart."_

_After practice, all of the team members were going back to the locker room._

" _Come on," Lydia told Allison. "Let's go wait for them."_

" _Uh, I guess." Allison shrugged and followed Lydia down the bleachers and inside. They stood outside of the locker room for awhile before anybody came out._

" _So," Lydia made conversation while they waited, "You lived in San Francisco before this?"_

" _I lived a lot of places before this, but San Francisco was the most recent."_

" _Military family?"_

" _No, my dad's job mostly."_

" _Mostly?" Lydia asked, latching onto the word._

_Allison's eyes widened. She really needed to be more careful about what she said around this girl. "Oh, um..."_

_Luckily, it was at that moment that the door to the locker room swung open and guys started filtering out._

" _Hey!" Lydia said when she saw the brothers come out, laughing about something._

" _Oh my God!" Stiles turned to Scott. "I got a 'hey'!"_

_Lydia rolled her eyes. "You guys remember Allison, right?"_

" _Yeah, from this morning." Stiles smiled._

" _Stiles, right?" Allison asked him._

" _Yep, and this here's my brother, Scott." Stiles grabbed his brother's shoulders. "Scott, you remember Allison, right? You gave her a pen." Stiles quirked his eyebrow. "_ Why _did you give her a pen?"_

" _She looked like she needed a pen." He said with a shrug._

" _Ah, at least we're clear on that."_

_Suddenly, Aaron Gardner walked out of the locker room with his friend, Danny._

" _Hi, Aaron!" Lydia said with a small gasp._

_Aaron smiled. "Hey." Then kept walking._

" _So, uh..." Stiles started, as he nudged Lydia. "How's_ talking _going with Aaron?"_

_Lydia sighed. "Well, I thought it was going better than that."_

" _Awe," He tried to sound sympathetic, but laughed. "Come here." He grabbed her into a hug and she pouted into his chest._

" _What did you think of practice?" Scott asked Allison._

" _I thought you guys were good...although, I don't know anything about lacrosse, so maybe I'm giving you too much credit." She shrugged._

" _Uh," Stiles said with mock attitude and let go of Lydia. "Excuse me, but we are fabulous!"_

 _Allison cocked her and looked at Lydia. "I thought you said he_ wasn't _gay." Lydia and Scott cracked up laughing and Stiles just dropped his mouth in shock. Allison smiled slyly and shrugged._

" _I...But...what?" Stiles couldn't form a sentence, and Scott and Lydia were laughing so hard they could barely breathe. Stiles felt his cheeks turn pink and Allison seemed to notice. She tried to stop smiling._

" _I'm so sorry." She said sincerely. "I don't know you, that was rude."_

" _But so funny." Scott told her._

" _Awe, Stiles." Lydia ruffled his hair once she realized that he was blushing. "I know you're not gay." Stiles sighed and put his head on her shoulder. Lydia turned back to Allison. "You broke him." She told her as she patted his back._

" _I feel really bad." Allison said. "I really am sorry."_

" _It's okay." Stiles mumbled, never looking up._

" _Don't worry." Scott told Allison. "He's just being dramatic."_

" _Says you." He mumbled to his brother._

" _Stiles," Lydia said, with a warning to her voice. "Allison really does feel bad."_

" _Fine." He sighed and raised his head. "It really is fine. I'm sorry I made you feel bad."_

_Allison shook her head. "No, I deserved it. Really I don't know you at all and I shouldn't have said it."_

" _Truce?" He asked sticking out his hand._

_Allison looked down and grabbed it and shook. "Truce."_

" _Alright," Scott said. "As entertaining as that was. We really need to get going." He hit Stiles's arm with the back of his hand._

" _Oh, yeah." Stiles said as he let go of Allison's hand._

" _Where are you going?" Lydia asked._

" _Scott lost his inhaler in the woods last night." Stiles answered. "We have to go look for it before I drop him off at work."_

" _Lydia, maybe you should come help us, then I can just take the jeep to work and you can take Stiles home."_

" _Yeah, that's fine." Lydia answered, not seeing the look that Stiles gave to Scott. The one that asked his brother what the hell he was trying to do. "Allison, do you want to come too?"_

" _Oh," She shook her head. "I_ really _have to get home, but hanging out this afternoon was fun. I really didn't have many friends back in San Francisco."_

" _Well, then we should all hang out later." Scott suggested._

_Allison nodded and smiled. "Definitely. Lydia, I give you permission to give these guys my number."_

" _Oh, Sweetheart, I was planning on it."_

_It was Allison's turn to blush. "See you guys tomorrow." Allison walked away and the three remaining friends walked in the opposite direction._

" _So, just follow us in your car I guess." Stiles told Lydia._

" _Will do."_

* * *

_Stiles pulled over around where he had the night before and Lydia pulled up behind him._

" _So, what do you guys think of Allison?" Lydia asked as they walked away from their vehicles._

" _She's nice." Stiles commented._

" _And hot." Scott jumped in._

" _Oh, totally hot." Stiles agreed._

" _Well," Lydia smirked. "I'm glad you think so, because she told me that she thought you two were the hottest guys on the field."_

" _What?!" They both exclaimed as they stopped and turned to look at her._

" _Did I stutter?" She asked them. "She thinks you're both hot." The brothers exchanged glances and then continued walking. "I had to explain to her that she just so happened to to pick two brothers though, so she would have to be careful choosing one."_

" _Lydia!" Stiles turned to his best friend._

" _What?"_

" _Why would you tell her that?"_

" _I wanted her to know what she was getting herself into...It doesn't matter though because she told me that she wouldn't be picking either one of you."_

" _Yeah, because you scared her off." Scott sighed._

" _No, I didn't! Look, I'm just saying that she thinks that both of you are hot, so if one of you wants to go after her, you've got a pretty good chance...or if you both want her...you may want to talk about it."_

_Scott and Stiles exchanged looks again. "I mean..." Scott started. "She's hot, but I don't know anything about her. At the moment I just want to be friends with her."_

" _Same." Stiles nodded. "But if that changes for either of us...we talk about it, right?"_

" _Yeah, definitely." Scott agreed._

" _Look at you two, being so mature." There was silence for a moment before Lydia commented, "So, Scott, when did you get so good at lacrosse?"_

" _Since last night, I think. I don't know. It was like I had all the time in the world to catch the ball, and that's not all... I can see, hear, and smell things that I shouldn't be able to see, hear, or smell."_

" _Like what?" Stiles asked._

" _Like the mint mojito gum In your pocket."_

_Stiles laughed, as he reached into his pocket to prove a point. "I don't have mint mojito-" Instead, he pulled out a piece of gum. "Huh..." He exchanged looks with Lydia._

" _And this all started with the bite?" Lydia asked._

" _What if it's like an infection or something? Like my body is flooding with adrenaline before I go into shock."_

" _I've actually heard of this," Stiles said as he winked at Lydia behind Scott's back. "It's a specific kind of infection."_

" _Seriously?" Scott asked._

" _Yeah," Lydia said. "All the symptom add up."_

" _I think it's called, lycanthropy." Stiles finished._

" _What is that? Is it bad?"_

" _Oh yeah," Lydia told him. "But only once a month."_

" _Once a month?"_

" _On the night of the full moon." Stiles and Lydia were both fighting smiles._

_Scott glared. "You're an ass. Both of you."_

" _That's what you get for laughing at me earlier."_

" _You guys, something could be seriously wrong."_

" _Yeah, you're a werewolf." Lydia smiled. "I mean, you did hear a_ wolf _howling."_

_Scott shook his head and looked around. "I swear it was right here."_

" _Scott," Lydia squeaked and Stiles saw the figure that Lydia had. He tapped Scott on his shoulder._

" _What are you doing here? This is private property." The guy said. Lydia grabbed Stiles's arm._

" _Sorry, we didn't know." Stiles said as he put his free hand on Lydia's arm protectively, so that he was practically standing in front of her._

" _We were just looking for something. We'll leave. Sorry to bother you." Scott told him._

_Stiles felt Lydia flinch when the guy threw something at them, but Scott caught it. The guy walked away and the three friends began walking toward their vehicles._

" _Is that your inhaler?" Stiles asked. Scott nodded in bewilderment._

" _Guys, do you know who that was?" The boys shook their heads. "That's Malia's brother, Derek. I recognize him from when Malia and I used to be friends and I would hang out at their house."_

" _Wasn't that the one that burned down about 6 and a half years ago?" Scott asked._

" _Yeah, remember? Dad was stuck dealing with it and almost missed Kayce's birth." Stiles reminded him._

_Scott chuckled at the memory. "Oh yeah, and you and I were arguing over which one of us was going to have to step up and go in there with Mom."_

" _Awe, both of you wanted to be in there?" Lydia asked._

" _No!" They both exclaimed._

" _Neither of us wanted to go." Scott told her._

" _In our defense, we were 10." Stiles tried. "See, I thought it should be Scott, because it was_ his _mother in there."_

" _And I thought it should have been Stiles because_ his _dad was the one missing, so he should have been the one to take his place."_

" _Which one of you ended up doing it?"Lydia asked._

" _Neither." Stiles told her. "Dad showed up just in time, and we both nearly cried with happiness."_

" _Yeah, he was covered in ashes from the fire." Scott thought back to that night._

" _There were only a few survivors." Lydia told them. "Malia, Laura, Derek, and their uncle, Peter. Their parents and other siblings died and Peter's been catatonic since that night. Laura took full guardianship over Malia and Derek left town shortly after."_

" _I wonder what he's doing back?" Scott asked._

" _I don't know,"Stiles answered, "But did anybody realize that Malia wasn't in school today?" Lydia and Stiles looked to Scott._

_Scott sighed. "Yeah, I noticed." Scott had a huge crush on Malia for the longest time but she never gave him the time of day. To be honest, she never gave anyone the time of day anymore. Not since the fire. "Alright, I have to get to work." he said once they got back to their cars. Stiles tossed Scott the jeep keys. "See you later."_

" _Bye." Stiles said, and climbed into Lydia's car._

" _Well, that was an interesting day." Lydia said as she got in and started the engine._

" _Yeah...so Allison thought I was gay?"_

 _Lydia laughed. "Yeah, when you were blowing me kisses she asked if you were my boyfriend and I told her no. So she assumed you were gay because we were both attractive, so why_ wouldn't _we be together? Unless you just didn't like girls. Don't worry, I set her straight...but you didn't help your case when you used the word 'fabulous'."_

" _Yeah,"Stiles said as he thought back to the scene in the hallway. "After that I felt like I needed to fuck a girl in front of her to prove a point."_

_Lydia felt a tingle in her stomach when he said it. Several thoughts popped in her head. The first thought, was how could something so vulgar sound so sexy? And did she just call something Stiles said 'sexy'? The other thought was 'you could have done it with me.' Seriously, where did that come from? Lydia tried to say something, but her head wasn't coming up with a clear thought. She quickly hit the brakes and pulled off on the side of the road. She wanted to say something witty and flirty and banter like the normally did, but instead the words that came out were,_

" _Do you want to make out?"_

" _What?" Stiles laughed. "That was so random."_

_Lydia sighed. "Look, you had the hot, new girl thinking you were gay," she said as she unbuckled his seat belt, "And I was pretty much ignored by the guy I've been talking to for a week." She unbuckled hers. "I want to feel desirable, and you want to desire women."_

" _But I_ do _desire women."_

" _Just shut up and kiss me!" She grabbed the front of his shirt and crashed her lips into his. His hands went to sides of her face and her hands stayed on his chest for a moment before one of them went to the back of his head. He flicked his tongue across her lips and they parted to let him in. His hands went back to run them through her hair. The makeout session went on for a few moments longer before Lydia finally broke away._

" _So, do you feel better?" She asked, as she looked at herself in the mirror to fix her hair._

" _Yeah." He said, his voice cracking as he picked up his backpack from the floor and put it in his lap. He cleared his throat. "Great. Fantastic. You?"_

 _She smirked. "I feel_ much _better. Thanks for asking." She buckled back up and put the car in drive._

_When they got back to Stiles's house, she followed him inside._

" _Want something to drink?" Stiles asked as he walked toward the kitchen._

" _Sure. What do you have?"_

_Stiles opened the fridge. "Uh, milk, juice, Coke, water."_

" _Water's fine."_

_Stiles grabbed the last Coke and handed it to her. "Here."_

" _I asked for water."_

" _You said 'water's fine' and I know you love Coke and that you just didn't want to take the last one."_

_Lydia sighed. "Thank you."_

" _What are best friends for if not to give you the last Coke, or boost your confidence by making out with them."_

 _Lydia hit his arm. "You know you liked it." She paused as she brought the can to her lips. "Maybe a little_ too _much?" She took a sip of the drink and saw Stiles blush out of the corner of her eye, but it quickly faded._

 _He shrugged. "What can I say?" He said leaning against the counter. "Hormones. I can't control it. Besides," he continued. "You know you liked it." He leaned closer to her to whisper in her ear. "Obviously you were_ very _desirable." Now it was Lydia's turn to blush. She quickly got a handle on it as he pulled away. "Besides, that wasn't the first time we made out and it turned me on. It's just the first time you brought it up." Stiles and Lydia both began laughing at his choice of words. "And by that, I meant it was the first time you mentioned it."_

" _I get it." Lydia said trying to catch her breath. They heard the Sheriff as he was approaching the door and realized he was on the phone, so they both quieted down._

" _Animal hairs?" He was saying as he walked inside. "What kind? That's it? And you're sure it was a wolf?"_

" _What?!" Both Stiles and Lydia yelped. The Sheriff hadn't noticed them yet and jumped and turned around._

" _I have to go. Thanks for letting me know." He hung up the phone and looked at the two teenagers. "How was your day?"_

" _Good." Lydia answered._

" _Uneventful." Stiles said at the same time._

_The older man nodded with a hint of doubt in what his son had said. "Okay then._

" _They really found wolf hairs on that body?" Stiles asked._

" _Stiles-"_

" _Because wolves haven't been in California in like-"_

" _Sixty years. I know. But I guess they're back."_

* * *

" _Scott!" Stiles yelled as he barreled into his brother's room the next morning. It was empty. "Scott?" He asked looking around. The bathroom door was open and no one was inside there either. Stiles headed downstairs with confusion. His dad and sister were the only two in the kitchen. "Dad, have you seen Scott?"_

_The front door swung open and Scott came inside soaked head to toe and wearing only his boxers. Stiles only stared with wide eyes and a confused expression._

" _Son?" The Sheriff directed to Scott._

" _I uh...went for a run."_

" _In your underwear?"_

" _Umm..."_

_The Sheriff shook his head. "Nevermind. I don't want to know. Kayce, time for school. Boys, get dressed and get gone."_

_Scott headed upstairs and Stiles followed him "Scott!"_

" _Stiles, I have to get dressed."_

" _But I need to tell you something." Stiles was at Scott's door, but his brother walked inside and slammed it in his face. He sighed._

_A few moments later Scott came out of his room and Stiles immediately started talking as they walked to the car. "Lydia and I overheard dad talking last night when he got home. The analysis came back from LA and you'll never guess what kind of animal hairs they found on the body!"_

" _What?" Scott said, bored._

" _Wolf." Stiles told him._

_Scott shrugged. "Okay?"_

" _Don't you get it?" Stiles was saying as they walked out the front door. "You were right, you may have actually been bitten by a wolf."_

" _Don't sound so shocked. I told you I heard a wolf howling."_

" _Well, I'm sorry I didn't believe you." Stiles could feel that his brother was on edge and stayed silent on the way to school, which was really hard for Stiles Stilinski._

_The boys walked in and Allison and Lydia were talking next to Allison's locker._

" _Hey," Stiles said to them as his brother walked past. The girls exchanged looks and looked back at Stiles. "He's in a mood today." Stiles made a face. "When I woke up, he wasn't in the house... He came in later saying he had gone for a run."_

_Allison looked at Lydia, to see if she had registered anything odd about the sentence. "I don't get it."_

" _He was in his underwear and soaked from head to toe."_

" _Well, did you ask him about it?" Lydia asked._

_Stiles shook his head. "No, because I told him about the wolf hairs and he just shrugged it off."_

" _Wolf hairs?" Allison asked._

_Stiles exchanged looks with Lydia. "Yeah," he told the brunette. "They found wolf hairs on the body in the woods."_

" _But I thought there were no wolves in California."_

" _You and everybody else." He told her. "But apparently the wolves have a different idea. Or the girl was somewhere else before coming back to Beacon Hills."_

" _We need to get to class." Lydia said as she looked at the time._

* * *

" _Want to come to tryouts with me? You can watch Scott and Stiles play again." Lydia asked Allison._

" _As fun as that sounds," Allison began with a smile. "I have things to do before your party tonight."_

" _So you're coming?"_

" _If I can find a ride. My aunt needs to take my car. "_

" _Well, I'm sure it won't be difficult to find someone."_

" _Hopefully not."_

" _I'll let you go. See you later." Lydia waved and walked away and toward the lacrosse field._

" _Lyd!" She heard her name and turned around to see Stiles running toward her. "Wait up!"_

_She stopped until he caught up with her. "What?" She asked him._

" _I need a ride home. Scott has work and finally decided to talk to me and tell me an hour ago that he needs the jeep."_

" _Well, what do I get?" She smirked._

" _Uh...the satisfaction of helping a friend in need?"_

_Lydia sighed, feigning exasperation. "I guess."_

" _Thank you! I love you!"_

" _Yeah yeah..." She said as he kissed her cheek and ran off. She turned around and saw some more players coming out onto the field. "Aaron!" She called._

_He looked up and nodded at her. She took a deep breath and ran toward him. "Are you coming to my party tonight? It starts at 10:00."_

" _Uh.." He paused and looked at Danny._

" _Yes, Lydia," Danny answered for him. "We'll be there."_

_Aaron turned back to the girl. "Yeah. Wouldn't miss it."_

" _Great! Can't wait to see you there." She smiled and walked off toward the bleachers, letting out the breath she had been holding in. She found a spot to watch her friends (and potential boyfriend) and cheered them on. Coach gave them the usual talk, mentioning something about cream cheese that made her really want a bagel, then blew the whistle to start the scrimmage._

_Stiles and Scott were both playing great. Then out of nowhere Scott, got the ball. He was running faster than she'd ever seen the asthmatic run before, flipping over guys, and swinging the ball at lightning speed into the net._

_Lydia stood up slowly, mouth dropped open and found Stiles, who had taken his helmet off and was wearing an expression similar to hers. He looked up at her from his spot on the field and shook his head. That was definitely not normal._

_Lydia was waiting for him by her car._

" _First line!" She squealed when she saw him and threw her arms around his neck. "I'm so proud of you!"_

" _Thanks." He told her with a smile._

" _Your dad will be so thrilled."_

" _Yeah, and now he'll have two kids to watch on the field."_

" _You sound bitter." She told him with a raised eyebrow then opened the driver's door. Stiles walked around and got in the passenger's side and huffed._

" _I'm not bitter. I just...I've been practicing since last year to make first line. Scott just kind of got good overnight."_

" _Do you really think it has to do with the bite?" Lydia asked him, skeptical._

" _I don't know, but I want to do some research when we get to my place. Wanna help?"_

_Lydia shrugged. "Sure. There's nothing better to do."_

" _Gee, thanks."_

_Lydia smiled. "That's not what I mean and you know it. I just have to get home by 9:00 to finish setting up."_

" _Sounds good. Scott should be home by 8:30."_

_Lydia drove to Stiles's house, and noticed his father's vehicle in the driveway. "Look, your dad's home!"_

_Stiles got out of the car and Lydia followed him inside. The Sheriff sat at the kitchen table as was just hanging up the phone when they walked in._

" _Who was that?" Stiles asked his father._

" _The station. They brought Derek Hale in for questioning since the body was found on his family's land." The Sheriff looked as his son expectantly, "So?"_

_Stiles couldn't stop the wide grin that formed. "I made first line."_

_Stilinski jumped up from his chair and engulfed his son in a huge hug. "Congratulations!"_

" _Thanks, Dad."_

" _What about Scott?" He asked hesitantly._

" _He made it too."_

" _Really?' He seemed shocked, and rightfully so._

" _Yeah, he's gotten pretty good, but uh... don't tell Mom. I don't know if Scott told her yet. I didn't see him after practice because he had work."_

" _My lips are sealed."_

" _Thanks, Lydia and I have some research to do. So, we'll be upstairs." Stiles grabbed Lydia's hand and led her up the stairs and into his room._

" _So, what exactly are we looking for?" Lydia asked as she dropped her bags and sat down on the bed. Stiles pulled up a chair to his desk and opened his laptop._

" _I don't know," He said as he brought the laptop to life, "But," He reached for his bag and pulled several books out of backpack and tossed them to Lydia. "I picked these up at the library on my way out."_

 _Lydia picked up one of the books "_ History of Lycanthropy. _Are you serious? Stiles, there's no such thing as werewolves."_

" _Look, I'm not one to believe in this kind of thing either, but it makes sense."_

" _How can something so absurd make sense?"_

" _I don't know, but the heightened senses? The speed? What else can explain that?"_

" _Well, I didn't want to say anything, but what if it's steroids?"_

" _What?" Stiles nearly laughed. "Scott would never. Our parents are a cop and a nurse. If he's not afraid to do them because of the long term effects, he's afraid to get caught."_

_Lydia shrugged. "I'm just saying, it's the more logical of the two choices."_

_Stiles shook his head. "Just start reading the book and let me know what it says." He told her and then started inputting words into his search engine. He pulled up article after article and Lydia went through chapter after chapter._

" _Okay," Lydia said slowly. "I think you've convinced me. Which makes me question my sanity."_

_They heard the jeep pull into the driveway and Stiles looked out the window to see his brother get out of the car, his eyes slowly wandered up to the sky "Oh shit."_

" _What?" Lydia asked as she looked toward Stiles._

_Stiles turned to her. "The full moon is tonight." They heard Scott come in and start up the stairs. Stiles ran to his door and opened it just as Scott was walking by. "Come here." He grabbed his brother's arm and pulled him into his room._

" _What the hell?" Scott yelled. Lydia slowly stood from the bed and Scott seemed to notice her. "Lydia? What are you doing here? I thought you had a party to set up for."_

" _I do...but I think this is more important."_

" _What's going on? Is this about the body in the woods?" Scott asked._

" _No, they're still questioning people. Even Derek Hale." Stiles told him._

" _Well, what is it then?"_

_Stiles exchanged looks with Lydia. "Remember the joke from the other day?" He asked his brother. "Not a joke anymore."_

" _What are you talking about?"_

" _The wolf? The bite in the woods? Lydia and I have been doing all of this research. Do you know why a wolf howls?"_

" _Should I?" Scott asked._

_Lydia answered, "It's to signal it's location to the rest of the pack."_

" _So, if you heard howling," Stiles continued. "That may mean there's a whole pack of them nearby."_

" _A pack of wolves?"_

" _No." Stiles said._

" _Werewolves." Lydia finished._

" _Are you guys seriously wasting my time with this?"_

" _I know how it sounds, Scott." Lydia told him, "Believe me. I didn't want to believe it either, but after looking at all of this..."_

" _Keeping in mind the heightened senses, and the reflexes, and we both noticed that you're not using your inhaler anymore."_

" _You guys are crazy. I need to get in the shower. I'm picking Allison up in an hour."_

_Lydia and Stiles exchanged looks. "Allison?" Stiles asked._

" _Yeah, she didn't have a ride to the party, so I told her I'd pick her up. Don't worry. We're not going together, I'm just her ride."_

" _I'm not sure that's a good idea." Lydia told him._

" _Why not?"_

" _The full moon is tonight, Scott." Stiles said. "Maybe, I should pick her up instead." Stiles pulled out his phone._

" _What are you doing?" Scott asked._

" _I'm just going to tell her that I'll pick her up-" Scott suddenly pushed his brother against the wall and Lydia yelped and jumped backwards._

" _Are you trying to take her away from me?!" Scott yelled._

" _Y-you just said that it wasn't like that." Scott seemed to calm down slightly and slowly let go of Stiles._

" _I'm sorry. I'm...I'm going to go take a shower." Scott left Stiles's room quickly._

" _I should go." Lydia said and grabbed her bag. "Maybe he'll be fine and we're just overreacting?" Lydia cleared her throat. "But uh, just to be safe, you probably shouldn't text Allison. If he reacted like that at the_ thought _of you texting her, I would be scared to see what would happen if you took her to the party instead. We'll just keep an eye on them when they get there."_

_Stiles nodded. "See ya."_

* * *

_Lydia looked around her house as she sipped on the punch she'd made. There weren't many people there yet, but it was only 10:02. The doorbell rang and she smoothed out her skirt, and took a deep breath. "Please be Aaron, please be Aaron, please be Aaron." She chanted as she went to the door and swung it open._

" _Hey." It was Stiles and he looked fidgety. Although, Lydia wasn't sure if it was more or less fidgety that normal. "Have you seen Scott yet?" He asked as he walked inside._

_Lydia sighed, disappointed slightly that it wasn't Aaron. "No. Not yet." She shut the door behind him_

" _He left like 20 minutes before I did, and I had to stop and get gas on the way because the jeep was on empty and he didn't fill it up after work."_

" _Did he take Melissa's car?" Stiles nodded. "You seem agitated."_

" _Really?! You don't say!" Stiles sighed. "I need a drink." He walked off toward the kitchen and the doorbell rang again._

_Lydia took a deep breath and smiled as she opened the door. "Allison!" Lydia said with a mixture of excitement and relief._

" _Hey! Scott brought me. He overheard me talking to you about needing a ride and he offered to take me."_

" _That's great!" Lydia said, grabbing Allison's arm and pulling her inside. "Where's Scott?"_

" _Uh," Allison turned around. "He was right here just a few seconds ago."_

_Lydia poked her head out and saw Scott running up to the door. "Hey, sorry. I left my phone in the car."_

" _Scott," Lydia said as she closed the door behind him. "Stiles is in the kitchen."_

_Scott shrugged. "Okay."_

_Lydia sighed. The point of that was to get Allison alone. Lydia inwardly cringed as she tipped her drink down her blouse. "Oh my God!" Lydia exclaimed. "I'm such a klutz! Allison, come help me."_

_Lydia grabbed Allison's arm and led her upstairs and into her bathroom._

" _How did you even do that?" Allison asked her friend._

" _It's a special talent I have." Lydia rolled her eyes and she began to dab the stain. "Luckily, I wasn't sure if I wanted to wear this outfit anyway."_

" _Don't give up hope, just yet. You'd be surprised at the amount of stains I've gotten out."_

" _Thanks." Lydia told her as Allison took over. "So," Lydia started. "Scott?"_

" _What about him?"_

" _Well, I thought you said you weren't choosing anyone."_

" _I'm not! We just came as friends." Allison, noticed Lydia's look. "Wait, does he think we're here as more than friends?"_

_Lydia shrugged. "I don't know. All I know is that he waited until the last minute to tell Stiles about it, then they got into a fight."_

" _Over me?" Lydia shrugged. "Wait, does Stiles want to be here with me as more than friends?"_

" _I don't know." Lydia said again. "When I talked to them about it they both said you were hot, but that they just wanted to be friends, and now..."Lydia sighed. "Just be careful about the signals you send." Allison nodded._

" _All done." Lydia looked down at her stain-free shirt._

" _Oh my God! You're a miracle worker."_

_Allison shrugged and Lydia hugged her. "Oh!" Allison let out a small gasp, not expecting the sudden contact, but hugged her back._

_The doorbell rang again and Lydia pulled away. "I got to get that!" She ran out of the bathroom and down the stairs, and nearly took a tumble as she neared the bottom._

" _Whoa!" Someone said as they caught her before she went flying. "You okay?"_

_Lydia looked up and saw, "Aaron!" She looked toward the door and saw Stiles with a semi-guilty looking face closing the door behind the large group that had just come in. "I'm great."_

" _Good." He smiled._

" _Come on, I'll show you where the drinks are." Lydia took Aaron's arm and led him out to the backyard._

" _Hey, Allison." Stiles said as he saw the brunette on the stairs._

" _Hey." She smiled. "Just so you know," She began as she stepped off the bottom step and walked over to him. "I only came with Scott to get a ride. I don't think this is anything more than that."_

_Stiles creased his forehead. "Okay?" Why was she telling him this?_

" _I just," Allison continued. "I didn't want you to think that I was choosing him." Stiles's raised his eyebrows, and Allison widened her eyes. "Not that I'm choosing you... I'm not choosing anybody..." Her cheeks began to turn pink and she looked away._

" _Hey," He said putting a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Come on, Scott went to get a drink."_

_Allison nodded and followed Stiles to the backyard._

_Scott was being somewhat normal again and apologized to Stiles for pushing him earlier. Stiles forgave him and all was well between the brothers once again._

_Scott offered Allison a dance "as friends" and she accepted, leaving Stiles alone, leaning on the bar as he scraped the paper off of a long empty beer bottle. Lydia suddenly appeared beside him and huffed._

" _Yes?" He asked as he turned to face her._

" _Why are boys so stupid?" She groaned._

" _Because we are a lesser species." He told her, knowing it was what she wanted to hear, then went back to peeling the paper off of his bottle._

" _Do you wanna make out?" Stiles laughed and looked down._

" _Are you trying to make Aaron jealous? Because, News Flash, I'm nothing to be jealous over. In fact, it may even make him desire you even less."_

" _Are you kidding me? One, I've realized over the past couple of days that...you're kinda hot." Stiles raised his eyebrows. "And two, you're first line, and you got there all by yourself. Aaron will feel like he has something to prove, so he'll want to steal me away from you."_

_Stiles shook his head. "I can't decide if I feel flattered or used."_

_Suddenly, he felt her hot breath on his ear and her teeth grazed it as she whispered, "What do you want to feel?"_

_He looked up at her, biting her lip coyly. He rolled his eyes before standing up completely, grabbing the back of her head and pulling her toward him._

_Allison and Scott were dancing about twenty feet away when Allison looked up. "Oh, my God!" She quickly looked down, and covered her face. "I thought that they weren't dating."_

_Scott raised a questioning eyebrow and turned to see Lydia and his brother with their tongues down each others' throats. "Uhh...I didn't think so either." Scott stared with a mixture of awe and confusion, before finally turning back to Allison. "God, they're really going at it, aren't they?"_

_Allison laughed and then had a realization. "What time is it?"_

" _Uh," Scott looked at his watch. "It's just after two."_

" _Shit." Allison swore as she dug through her purse and pulled out her phone. "My dad's called me five times. I'll be right back."_

_Stiles's hands had found their way under Lydia's blouse and were at her waist, touching her soft, warm skin. Both had gotten completely lost in the point they were trying to make._

" _Scott!" Stiles heard Allison's voice calling his brother's name, and he suddenly remembered that he was supposed to be watching him. He pulled away from Lydia, both breathing heavily._

" _Did you hear that?"_

" _Hear what?" Lydia asked, dizzily._

" _I think I heard Allison call Scott's name. I'm..." Stiles said as he started to walk away. "I'm going to go check on them."_

_Lydia sighed. "Fine."_

_Lydia leaned against the bar again and grabbed the bottle that Stiles had been playing with. "Hey, Lydia." Her breath hitched momentarily as she tried to keep her cool._

" _Hey, Aaron." She smiled. Her plan worked._

_Stiles walked through the house, looking for any signs of Scott or Allison. He walked out the front door and he heard someone say, "Allison!" It wasn't Scott's voice though. "I'm Derek. I'm a friend of Scott's." What was he talking about? Stiles walked around until he finally saw them. "He wanted me to give you a ride home."_

" _Oh, hell no!" He thought he'd said it his head, but it actually came out of his mouth. It was Derek Hale, the guy from the woods. "Scott doesn't know him." Stiles told Allison, who was taking a step toward the guy. Allison froze. Stiles walked over to her, putting his arm around her protectively. "Don't worry, I'll take you home." He told her, then shot Derek a look as he said. "Hey, Allison, did I ever tell you my dad's the sheriff?" He pulled her over to his jeep and opened the passenger door for her, then went over to the driver's side. "So," He said as he got in. "You'll have to tell me how to get to your house because I have no clue." He heard a sob and turned to look at her. "Are you okay?"_

_Allison shook her head. "No."_

" _What's wrong?" He asked with genuine concern._

" _He knew my name. He knew Scott's name. I was convinced Scott really wanted him to take me home. God, how could I be so stupid."_

" _Shhh.." Stiles tried to calm her down. "You're not stupid."_

" _Yes, I am. If you hadn't shown up...who knows what he would have done to me!"_

 _Stiles didn't really know Derek Hale, but he didn't think he would do anything to hurt her...but then again...he_ didn't know Derek Hale.

" _Hey, everything's okay now." He told her as he placed a hand on hers. She took a deep breath and nodded. Stiles kept his hand there until she calmed down enough that he felt it was okay to finally start the car. "So," he said as he maneuvered his way out of Lydia's yard. "What happened to Scott?"_

_Allison sniffed and shook her head. "I don't know. I stepped away for like five seconds to call my dad and when I came back he was gone."_

" _Maybe he just went to the bathroom or something?" Stiles suggested, not believing it himself._

" _Maybe."_

" _So, did you at least have fun before that?"_

" _Yeah," Allison smiled. "Although, not as much fun as you were having."_

" _What?"_

" _You and Lydia. I thought you guys weren't dating..."_

" _We're not." Stiles clarified quickly. "She was trying to make this guy jealous or something. I just learn to go with it."_

" _Oh...so you don't like her like that?"_

" _Nah, she's my best friend."_

" _Who you make out with..."_

" _Hey, I do anything for my friends. If you wanted to make some guy jealous, I would gladly make out with you too."_

_Allison laughed. "Make a right up here."_

" _So, does this at least convince you that I'm not gay?"_

" _If you say you're not gay, I believe you, but I've seen gay guys make out with girls before, so that doesn't prove anything." She shrugged playfully._

" _Well, I guess I'll just have to find a way to prove it to you one day."_

" _This is me." Allison said, pointing to the large house. Stiles pulled over and Allison gathered her things. She was about to open the door when she turned back to look at him. She quickly, leaned over and kissed his cheek and he immediately felt himself turn pink. "Thanks." She told him. "For taking me home. You were my hero tonight." Allison got out of the car, while Stiles just sat there stunned. He waited until she got inside her house, then lifted his hand to touch the spot where her lips had just been. A goofy grin spread on his face and he headed home._

_Melissa's car was in the driveway when he got there and he immediately ran to Scott's room. His door was closed, and Stiles tried to knob. It opened, but the room and bathroom were empty. His window on the other hand was wide open. He ran over and didn't see any sign of his brother._

_He grabbed his phone and called Lydia._

" _What do you need?" She answered._

" _We have an emergency."_

" _Where are you?"_

" _I'm at my house." Stiles said as he walked out of Scott's room._

" _You left? When did you leave?"_

" _Like an hour ago. I took Allison home, because Scott left her, and Mom's car is in the driveway, but Scott isn't here." He was walking back down the stairs._

_Lydia sighed. "Okay, umm...get back to my place and I'll help you look for him."_

" _Already on my way." Stiles told her as he walked out the door and back to his jeep._

_When Stiles got to Lydia's house all of the cars were gone and Lydia was waiting outside. She hopped into the passenger's seat, then Stiles left again._

" _Have you tried calling him?" Lydia asked._

" _It rings then goes to voicemail. He either left it in the house or the car. I think he jumped out of his window, so just keep an eye out for him."_

_Lydia nodded and began scanning the area for any movement. "So, you took Allison home?"_

" _Yeah, that creep Derek was trying to convince her that he and Scott were friends and that Scott wanted him to take her home."_

" _Are you serious?"_

" _Yeah, so I said 'no' and took her myself." Lydia watched his expression turn from anger to a smile._

" _What's that?" She asked teasingly._

" _What's what?" He asked, still smiling._

" _That smile!"_

" _What? I'm not allowed to smile?"_

" _You are, but only if you give me the deets. And you know that if you don't tell me, Allison will."_

_Stiles sighed. "She kissed me." Then clarified, "On my cheek. She called me her hero."_

" _Awe! Stiles...do you have a crush on Allison?"_

" _No...I mean... I don't know."_

" _You know, you'll have to talk to Scott."_

" _And tell him what? She already told you she's not interested in being with either of us."_

" _Yeah, but if you like her, you need to let him know."_

" _I'd still want to get to know her better."_

_Lydia smiled. "I think you guys would be super cute together." Stiles shook his head and he felt his cheeks heat up. "Oh my God! You're blushing!"_

" _Stop." He groaned. Lydia stopped and Stiles took a deep breath. "So, how about you and Aaron? Did anything happen after I left?"_

_She huffed. "He flirted a little. You and Allison got further than we did. God, I just don't understand what his problem is."_

" _Maybe he's waiting for you to make the first move."_

" _But I want_ him _to make the first move!"_

" _You may be waiting for awhile."_

" _God, I hope not."_

_Stiles could barely keep his eyes open and Lydia had fallen asleep in the backseat by the time Stiles spotted the shirtless guy wandering down the side of the road._

" _Scott?" Stiles asked to himself, then the guy turned around ."Scott!"_

_Lydia jumped up. "What? What happened?" Stiles pulled over and Scott got into the passenger's seat. "Scott?" Lydia asked sleepily._

" _Hey, Lydia." Scott mumbled. "How long have you guys been looking for me?"_

" _Couple of hours." Stiles told him with a yawn._

" _You guys were right." Scott told the, "About all of it."_

" _Of course we were." Lydia mumbled from the backseat as she was beginning to fall asleep again._

" _Did Allison make it home okay?"_

_Stiles nodded. ."Yeah, I took her home." Lydia popped an eye open and caught Stiles's gaze in the rear view mirror. He wasn't going to tell Scott anything right now, but he would later. "That was after Derek tried to convince her that you'd asked him to take her home."_

" _Wait, Derek Hale?" Stiles nodded. "Guys, I think he's the one who bit me."_

_Lydia popped both eyes open and Stiles slammed on the brakes ."What?!" They both yelled._

" _Yeah, Derek's a werewolf, and there are hunters who tried to kill me. And it's all just really complicated."_

" _Hey," Stiles said after a moment. "We'll get through this. If I have to, I'll chain you up myself on the nights of a full moon and feed you live mice. Remember the boa I used to have? I could do it."_

" _You have to admit it though,"Lydia said, sitting up again. "It's kind of cool. Aside from the people trying to kill you thing."_

_Stiles dropped Lydia off and then went home and the boys went straight to sleep._


	2. What the Hell Are You Doing?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this is the first Present Day chapter. I'm posting the first two chapters at the same time to get it started, but from here on out, the flashback will get updated, then the present day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first part of this chapter is basically the last scene from IJAMOT, except where that scene was mostly told from Lydia's POV, this scene is mostly from Stiles's.
> 
> Also, the chapters do get a little bit shorter from here.

 

 

 

"What the hell are you doing?" Stiles yelled as he jerked Lydia back away from the nemeton.

_Bzzz!_

_Bzzz!_

"I don't know...I..."

_Bzzz!_

"God, what is that incessant buzzing?" Stiles looked around and patted his pants pockets. "Where the hell did my phone go?"

He scanned the ground and his eye caught it just Lydia bent over to pick it up. "Your girlfriend is calling you." She said as she held the phone out.

Stiles saw Allison's face right before the call ended and _Allison Argent: 3 Missed Calls_ popped up.

Stiles sighed as he took the phone. "Probably wondering where the hell we are because we were supposed to be at her house," Stiles looked at the time, "Ah, 10 minutes ago. When I tell her that I had to chase her best friend through the woods..."

"I used to be _your_ best friend." She said quietly. Stiles glanced up, a look of annoyance on his face as he prepared to fight, but he saw her sad expression.

He sighed. "Yeah, well shit happens." The phone began to buzz and vibrate again in his hand. Stiles quickly answered. "Hey, Ali."

"Oh my God!" Her worried tone came through the line and Stiles wanted to smile, but he was still kind of pissed that she bailed on picking Lydia up at the last minute, leaving him to do it. He'd rather be cleaning a toilet bowl with a toothbrush... and then use the toothbrush. "Where have you been? I've called you three times!" Stiles began to walk away.

"Sorry. I dropped my phone. Lydia had a..." He rolled his eyes "Banshee thing, and we're at the nemeton, but we're heading that way now."

"Okay, well be safe on the way over here."

"Yeah, we will be." Stiles was saying.

"Uh, Stiles." He heard Lydia's voice and rolled his eyes again.

"I'll see you when you get here. I love you."

"Alright. Love you too." He told her and hung up the phone then turned to look at Lydia. "What?"

"There's a-" Lydia turned her head and pointed.

"What?" Stiles asked again as he took a few steps toward her.

"There was somebody there a second ago."

Stiles looked over to where Lydia was pointing,. If there was something there before, there wasn't anything there now. Over the years, he'd learned to always trust Lydia's instinct. He didn't have to like the girl to know when they needed to get the hell out of there. He grabbed her arm, and began to pull her away. "Well, then let's just hurry and get out of here before he comes back."

"Wait," She stopped.

Stiles groaned. "What now?"

"I don't know...I just... I feel like I'm forgetting something."

"Yeah, you're forgetting how pissed Allison is going to be when we're not at her house in the next 15 minutes. Now, come on."

Stiles walked away leaving Lydia to trail behind him.

"So," Lydia tried to make conversation once they were back in the car. "Have you heard back from any colleges yet?" Stiles didn't answer her. Instead he turned the ignition over and hit the gas. Lydia sighed. "Well, _I_ heard back." Stiles didn't acknowledge her. "You'll be happy to know that most of the schools I applied to are on the East Coast. So, all you have to do is make it through two more months of school and two months of summer and then I'll be out of your hair. You'll never have to look at me again."

Stiles glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and saw that she was looking out the window with her arms crossed. He couldn't see her face, but he was pretty sure she was crying.

He sighed. "I don't..." he started slowly. "I don't hate you...anymore."

Lydia scoffed and sniffed. "You could have fooled me."

"Well...I still can't stand to be around you, but I realize that just because we don't get along doesn't mean having you here isn't good for the pack as a whole. So no...I won't be happy if you move and I think you should go to a college nearby. Otherwise, you're just being selfish."

"Well, that was rude, but I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less from _you._ "

Stiles shrugged. Nothing Lydia said hurt him anymore. "Hey, if this were about me I'd tell you do move to England, go to Oxford, travel the world, just get the hell away from me."

"Well, I'm glad I know how you really feel."

"Oh, suck it up, Lydia! You've known how I felt, you just keep hoping that I've changed my mind. Well, I haven't. "

"Stop the car." She told him as she gathered her things into her lap.

"Oh, no..." He said with a scoff as he shook his head. "We're not doing this again."

"Pull over, Stiles!"

"No! We're almost there."

"I said pull over!"

"And I said _no_! You don't always get what you want, Lydia!"

Lydia leaned her head against the window as hot tears burned in her eyes. He may not hate her anymore, but the more time she spent with him, the more she remembered why she hated him. Why she _still_ hated him. Although, there was a very fine line between love and hate, wasn't there?

Stiles had barely stopped the jeep in Allison's driveway when Lydia bolted from the vehicle. She opened the front door and slammed it behind her. Allison came around the corner ready to scold whoever had slammed the door when she saw Lydia breaking down. Her chest was rising and falling in sobs as she leaned against the wall next to the door.

"Lydia? What happened?"

Lydia shook her head and covered her mouth as she tried to suppress the sound she was making.

The front door opened and Stiles walked in and saw her standing there. "Oh yeah, slamming the door. Real mature, Lydia."

"You know what?" She said as she pushed herself off the wall and went to the stairs. "Fuck you, Stiles!" She yelled as she ran toward Allison's room.

"You already did!" He yelled back, then noticed the glare Allison was giving him before she ran after her friend.

Stiles took a deep breath as he heard a voice to his right. "So," Stiles turned his head and saw Isaac standing there. "How'd it go with Lydia?" Another door slammed somewhere upstairs.

Stiles balled his hand into a fist and was halfway through a lunge when a hand grabbed his arm.

"Stiles," Scott said, a warning in his tone of voice. Stiles turned to face Scott and looked at his glowing red eyes. "You need to calm down." To be honest, the glowing eyes still freaked him out a little and he immediately relaxed his fist and dropped his arm. A concerned look appeared on Scott's face. "Did you get hurt?"

"What?"

"I smell blood." Scott, looked at Stiles's arm. It was covered by a hoodie, but that was definitely where the smell was coming from. Stiles shrugged the jacket off to reveal a gash on his bicep. "How'd that happen?" Scott asked.

"I don't know. Maybe I sliced it on a branch or something."

"Without ripping your jacket?" Isaac asked.

Stiles glared up at the beta. "I don't know, _Isaac_. I was little preoccupied over the possibility of finding a dead body."

"Does it hurt?" Scott asked without touching it.

"Not really." Stiles said with a shake of his head.

"I can't tell if it's still bleeding or not." Scott told him. "Come with me and I'll help you clean it up."

Allison made it up the stairs just as Lydia closed Allison's door with a bang. She flinched. "God, you're so lucky Nic isn't home." She opened the door and saw Lydia laying on her bed. "Hey," she said softly as she sat down next to her friend on the bed and rubbed her back. "So, do you want to tell me what that was about?"

"Your boyfriend being an ass." Lydia sniffled.

"Well, I got that much." Lydia huffed. "What happened? I feel like we just went back in time like a year. You guys were fine."

Lydia laughed. "We _weren't_ fine, Allison. We were far from fine. We tolerated each other."

"So, then..."

"He reminded me why he shouldn't be tolerated."

"Did he call you a name? Because, I swear to God, Lydia...if he's starting that childish bullshit again I'll-"

"No." Lydia sighed and sat up. "He just called me selfish...which I am...so..."

"You're _not_ selfish. You're one of the least selfish people I know."

"Well, if that's the case, then the people you hang out with must be pretty self-absorbed." Allison smiled and wrapped her arms around her friend. Lydia sighed again. "I told him that I was looking at colleges on the East Coast."

Allison froze. "What?"

"He basically told me that if I was going there just to get away from him and not thinking about the pack, then I was being selfish. And he was right. I just didn't want to hear it. It started another fight. It was the most we'd said to each other in long time."

Allison let her go and looked at her friend. They were silent for a moment when they heard Stiles give a pained yell. The girls silently exchanged expressions, then shrugged. "Well, you still have a few months to think about it. If you decide you need to leave, I'll support you. Besides, that still doesn't excuse _that_ comment he made when you ran up." Lydia blushed slightly, remembering the one. "Especially in front of me."

"I think he was mad at both of us. I mean...you were the one who made him pick me up."

"Yeah, but that doesn't give him the right. He's going to get a mouth full later on."

Lydia groaned. "Why do I feel like that's going to turn into _you_ getting a mouth full."

"I'm sorry," Allison said, with a wide smile and small blush. "Are you _implying_ something?"

"I'm just saying that the two of you can't have a fight without it turning to sex. And most of the time it ends you with you _on your knees_ begging for mercy."

"That's not true!" Allison giggled.

"See?! You can't even keep a straight face about it!" Lydia replied, laughing along with her. Allison covered her face as it turned beet red and Lydia wiped her cheeks from where a few stray tears had fallen.

The two girls got quiet after a moment and Allison asked, "Are you okay now?"

Lydia nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

"No problem." She smiled and stood, then held her hand out. "Come on. Party time."

* * *

"Here." Isaac said as he came back with a bandage. "I found Chris's stash. What was that noise I heard?"

Stiles gritted his teeth. "Peroxide hurts like a bitch."

"I had to clean the wound." Scott told him. "Especially since you didn't know how you got it." Allison and Lydia appeared in the kitchen and Allison's eyes flashed with worry.

"What happened?" She asked as she took a few steps toward him.

"I have no clue, but Scott's patching me up."

"Awe," She looked at him sympathetically, then leaned in like she was going to kiss him, but stopped right before. "Karma's a bitch." She backed away with a smirk and he glared for a moment. She turned to the Alpha, "Thanks for making him feel it, Scott."

Stiles gave an exasperated sigh. "I get it! I'm a dick."

"Well, I wasn't going to say anything..."Isaac murmured.

Stiles turned his glare toward the beta, then looked at Scott. "Seriously, _what_ is his purpose? Besides making me constantly want to hit him in his face."

"Guys! Come on!" Liam called from the other room. Stiles hopped down off of the counter and the five of them walked into the living room. Liam, Hayden, Corey and Mason were there waiting. Allison stood in front of everybody while the other four took a seat, Lydia sitting next to Hayden as far away as possible from Stiles, who sat on the other side next to Scott.

"So, now that everyone's here," She looked at Stiles. "And... put back together," She turned back to the rest of the group. "I wanted to thank everybody for coming to my mother's death day party."

Corey raised his hand, "Yeah... what exactly is a death day party?"

"For the those of you that aren't familiar with this story, my mom died when I was eleven so every year on the day of her death, instead of being sad, my dad and I would have a party. So tonight, we watch movies and pop popcorn and hang out with friends." Everyone silently looked between Stiles and Lydia. The two of them didn't notice. "The first movie we're going to watch is," Allison picked up the case on top. " _Dirty Dancing_."

"Uh..."Lydia cleared her throat. "Can we watch a different movie?"

Stiles raised his hand ."I agree with the banshee." Corey and Hayden exchanged glances because in the time they had known them, those two had never agreed on anything.

"Guys," Mason began. "What are you talking about? _Dirty Dancing_ is a classic!"

"We just watch it all the time." Lydia said.

"Yeah," Allison agreed. "Because it's one of my favorites. And this isn't about you."

"Yeah. Lydia," Stiles mumbled. "Stop being selfish."

Lydia jumped to her feet, and Stiles was up almost as fast.. "You know what, Stilinski?" She took a few steps toward him and Stiles took a giant step toward her before Liam and Scott jumped between the two. Liam, holding Lydia and Scott holding Stiles.

"You need to take a walk." Scott told his brother through bared teeth. Stiles's cheeks were flushed with anger as he jerked himself away from from Scott. He walked away and a few moments later they heard the backdoor close.

"If the movie is going to cause that much of an issue, then we won't watch it." Allison mumbled.

"No..."Lydia said softly as she sat back down. "I'm sorry. Go ahead." Allison wanted to say 'No' on principle, to make a point, but she really wanted to watch the movie.

"Okay." She couldn't hide her smile as she put the movie in.

* * *

Stiles stayed outside for awhile. He took a couple of laps around Allison's neighborhood and then paced in front of the back door. When he finally walked back into the living room _Time of Your Life_ was playing. Scott was laughing.

"Stiles did this dance for a talent competition. It was before our parents got married, but I think he won...I don't remember who he danced with."

"Lydia." He spoke. Everyone turned their heads to see him, but he made eye contact with the banshee. "I danced with Lydia. And we got 2nd." Lydia pursed her lips. "So, what's next?"

Allison looked over at Lydia, seemingly understanding why they didn't want to watch the movie, as she stood up and looked at the pile of DVDs. " _The Breakfast Club._ " She announced as she held the DVD case up.

"I'm sensing a pattern." Hayden said as she exchanged glances with Mason.

There was a pattern.

After _The Breakfast Club_ , they watched _Back to the Future,_ then _Ferris Bueller's Day Off._

"It's getting late." Liam announced when the fourth movie ended.

"Yeah,"Mason said, standing up. "Come on guys," He began, addressing the sophomores in the group. "Let's get you home." Mason, Corey, Hayden, and Liam said their goodbyes to the rest of the group and headed out.

"Lydia, I'll take you home." Scott told her. She nodded, relieved. Isaac walked out with them before going their separate ways. "So, tonight was interesting." Scott said when he got into the car.

Lydia nodded. "Yeah. Interesting is definitely _a_ word to describe it."

"How would you describe it?"

"Terrible. Although, I guess it could have gotten worse if you and Liam hadn't stepped in."

"Been there done that. God, you and Stiles fighting is the worst."

Lydia sighed. "Tell me about it. I keep wanting things to go back to the way they were, but too much has happened. I don't think we can ever be fixed again."

Scott shook his head. "I don't believe that. You two have too much history. You'll find your way back to each other. You always do."

"I admire your optimism. But I think sometimes you just have to admit defeat. And this is one of those things you can't come back from."

"What happened? I mean...if you don't mind me asking. It's like you drifted apart, then you guys stopped talking to each other and when you did talk all you did was fight, and then it ...escalated, but for awhile I thought things were okay."

"I told Allison the same thing earlier: Things were never okay. We used to hate each other, but now we don't. Well...he doesn't hate me. I still have some very strong feelings toward him."

"So, you're not going to tell me what happened?"

"He hasn't told you?" Lydia asked. Scott shook his head. "Then I won't either. Not keeping my mouth closed is sort of how it all spiraled out of control to begin with."

Scott nodded, then asked, "Does it have anything to do with the fact that you guys slept together?" Lydia turned her head to face him. "Everybody knows. There was a fight we all over heard once...and if they didn't know then, they know now after Stiles's comment earlier."

Lydia shook her head. "I'm sorry, Scott. I can't tell you."

Scott nodded again. "That's fine. I get it. If you want to talk though. I'm here for you when you're ready."

"Thank you." She told him. He pulled into her driveway shortly after. "Wow, I never realized how close I was to Allison's house. I guess I'm just used to making detours along the way." Scott chuckled. "Thanks again for the ride." She told him again and she made her way out of his car.

* * *

Allison closed the door behind the werewolves and the banshee as they left her house. When she turned back around Stiles was still sitting on the couch, watching the menu screen play over and over.

Allison reached for the remote and turned the television off, then crossed her arms. Stiles made eye contact with her and stood up. "Before you yell at me, just realize that you have no one to blame but yourself." He told her, then began to walk upstairs.

Allison scoffed. "Are you kidding me?" She said, following him. "You were a dick to Lydia, you made inappropriate comments in front of me, and the two of you fighting nearly turned physical. Again. The tension was so thick I could barely breathe!"

Stiles shrugged as he opened the door to Allison's room. "And if you would have just picked her up yourself, this could have all been avoided. What were you doing anyway that was _so_ damn important that you couldn't take the time to pick up your _best friend_?"

"I was setting up a party! And, how dare you turn this all around on me! If you didn't have such a terrible temper when it came to her, maybe it wouldn't have been that bad."

"Well, you knew that I had issues with her. If you didn't want us to fight you would've figured out another way to get her here." He took his shirt off, almost subconsciously.

"I thought that things had changed!" Stiles opened his mouth to say something "And before you give me the spiel about how nothing changed and you still hate each other, save your breath, because Lydia already did the same thing." Allison said as she took her shirt off too. "God, do you know how pissed I am with you?"

Stiles smirked, a glint in his eye. "No, but I bet you're gonna show me." Allison glared, as she pushed him back onto the bed.

* * *

Allison opened her eyes. She swore she heard the alarm on her front door go off.

_Creak!_ That was definitely a floorboard. Her dad wasn't coming back for another day, so who was in her house?

"Stiles!" She whispered and shook him.

"Hrrmm."

"Stiles, someone's in the house." It was at that moment that there was a distinct sound of glass shattering. Stiles sat up quickly and exchanged looks with Allison.

She slipped out of the bed. She was wearing Stiles's shirt while Stiles had a pair of sweatpants on that he kept at Allison's for nights like this.

"Do you have like a bat or something?" He asked.

"No," She said as she walked over to her closet and pulled out her crossbow. "I've got this."

"Then what do I get?" Allison reached into her closet again, this time grabbing a gun. Stiles groaned. "God, I hate guns."

There was another thud downstairs and they froze. "Just hold it."

She handed it to him and they carefully walked out of her room and down the stairs. The front door was open, but Allison heard something that sounded like scratching from the kitchen. Stiles kept the gun low, but Allison held the bow, aiming it and ready to shoot if she needed to.

Allison led Stiles toward the kitchen, then put a finger to her lips as they were about to enter it. They walked in and quickly flipped on the lights.

"Jesus, Lydia!" Stiles yelled, as he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Lydia?" Allison asked as she lowered the bow. The banshee seemed to be in a trance, a piece of broken glass was in her left hand, while her right arm was held out. Her hand came down ready slice into her arm. Stiles seemed to move inhumanly fast, grabbing her left wrist in his hand.

She immediately dropped the piece of glass as she woke up.

"What the hell is going on?" She asked as she looked up at Allison.

"I was kind of wondering the same thing." Stiles said, still holding onto her wrist.

She turned to look at him, worry evident in his eyes. Then she looked down at her wrist in his hand. "I'm fine." She said and attempted to pull her arm away, but he held tightly. "Stiles, stop you're hurting me." He let her go and she held her own wrist.

"Sorry." He mumbled.

Lydia only stared at him, because since the two of them had starting fighting, Stiles never apologized for anything. She was almost starting to wonder if he'd forgotten the meaning of the word.

"It's... It's fine." She told him.

"Umm..." Allison started, as she glanced back and forth between Stiles and Lydia. "Lydia, what are you doing here?"

Lydia shook her head. "I don't know. The last thing I remember is laying down in my bed to go to sleep. Then all of a sudden I'm waking up in your kitchen with a piece of glass in my hand."

"I assume you walked here, since you're car is in the shop, right?" Allison asked.

Lydia shrugged. The three of them went to the door and didn't see any other vehicles besides Stiles's jeep and Allison's car outside.

"I'll bring you home."

Allison and Lydia whipped their heads toward Stiles.

"What?" Lydia was the first one to speak.

"I can do it, Stiles." Allison told him.

"No, you should just go back to bed. I really need to get home anyway and Lydia's on the way. Let me just grab my stuff from your room." He said then headed upstairs.

"What got into him?" Lydia asked Allison.

Allison shrugged. "No idea. He was still pissed at me when we went to bed."

Stiles came back down with his hoodie on and zipped up in place of his shirt, and he was still wearing his sweatpants.

"Almost ready." He said as he walked over to the couch where he'd taken his Converses off the night before. "Ali, I'm leaving my jeans here too since you're still wearing my shirt."

Allison looked down and crossed her arms over the shirt, as if feeling somewhat embarrassed all of a sudden. Lydia just gave her a knowing look.

"I hope you brushed your teeth." She whispered, and received a soft slap on her arm from Allison.

"Alright," Stiles announced. "Let's go."

"Bye." Lydia told Allison and gave her a hug, then she followed Stiles out to his jeep.

They were silent for several minutes, awkward tension settling inside the vehicle.

"Thank you." Lydia finally said.

Stiles nodded. "Yeah...yeah no problem." He was quiet for a moment, before saying, "Uh...wait...what are you thanking me for again?"

"I guess, one, for waking me up, and two, for taking me home." She sighed. "We both know that you didn't have to do either." Stiles suddenly slammed on the brakes and stopped in the middle of the road. "Stiles! What the-"

"Let me talk!" He yelled, then took a deep breath. "Look, I told you before that I don't hate you anymore. For awhile I did. I'm not going to be your best friend again anytime soon, but that doesn't mean that I want to see you get hurt."

"Allison would have taken me home. You didn't have to, so why did you offer?"

Stiles stared at the steering wheel for a long time, not saying anything.

"I don't know." He finally spoke. It didn't sound malicious though...not like how it would have the past few months. It almost sounded like he was on the verge of tears. "I guess... as much as we haven't gotten along lately, there's a part of me that still cares about you. If Allison and I hadn't woken up, I'm not sure what you would have done with that glass. All of a sudden, I realized how much of a jerk I was last night and if something had happened to you, that wasn't the last impression I would have wanted to leave. So, I wanted to apologize." He finally turned his head to make eye contact with her. Lydia bit her lip and looked away. "You don't have to forgive me. I just needed to get it off my chest."

Lydia took a deep breath. "I-" Stiles's phone suddenly began to ring.

"That's Allison." He said, recognizing the ring tone he'd set for her. He reached into his pocket and pulled the phone out. "Hey, babe. What's up?"

"I just sent you a picture. I just walked into the kitchen again and where Lydia was standing, there was something carved into the counter."

"Let me take a look." Stiles pulled the phone away and put Allison on speaker while he looked at his messages.

"What's wrong?" Lydia asked.

"Allison sent me a picture. I guess you carved something into the counter."

Lydia groaned. "Sorry, Allison. I'll pay you back."

"I'm more worried about _wha t_ you carved though."

Stiles tilted the phone screen toward Lydia. "What is that?" He asked her.

Lydia looked at the screen. "I don't know, but it looks like a Japanese kanji."

"I didn't know you knew Japanese." Allison said.

Lydia looked up and exchanged glances with Stiles. "I don't."

"Okay," Stiles said slowly. "Um, Allison, just go back to sleep and I'll talk this over with Scott tomorrow."

"Alright, love you. Goodnight."

"Love you too." He said and hung up.

Lydia felt her gut clench. She didn't know why it still affected her, hearing them exchange _I love you_ 's. They had been dating for 2 years, aside from the small break they took in the middle of Junior year, so it was nothing new.

A car suddenly passed them, blowing their horn. "You should probably move out of the middle of the road." Lydia whispered quietly.

"Yeah." He said as he lifted his foot off the brake and continued on his way to Lydia's house. They were quiet on the way there. Both of them lost in their own thoughts.

"Thanks for the ride home." Lydia said as she opened the door and began to climb out.

"It's fine. Just...stay there this time."

Lydia let out a small laugh. "I'll do my best." She told him. They stared for a moment in a comfortable silence, as if nothing had ever happened between them, but then they both seemed to remember at the same time that things were different now. Stiles looked away and cleared his throat and Lydia nodded. "Goodnight." She said then shut the door. She walked away a few steps, then stopped and turned around. She wasn't sure what she was going to say, but she didn't have to worry about that because Stiles was already driving away.

* * *

Stiles heard his bedroom door open and moved the blanket off of his head.

"Oh!" Scott said with some surprise. "You _are_ here. I thought I heard someone come in really early this morning, but I assumed I must have been dreaming."

"It was me." Stiles scratched his head and sat up. "Lydia ended up at Allison's this morning, and I took her home."

Scott blinked a few times. "I'm not sure what I should focus on first. The way you said _ended up_ like she was in a fugue state, or the fact that you took her home."

"Well, I'll make it easy for you. We think she was sleepwalking. She carved a Japanese kanji into Allison's counter and almost carved into her arm before I stopped her, and yes. I brought her home, and yes. She was still alive when I left her."

"Oh...so are you two..."

"Friends?" Stiles shook his head. "No. There's still stuff that happened and it's going to take a lot for me to forgive her for all of it."

"I wish you would just tell me what it was."

"No." Stiles shook his head. "It's nobody's business."

Scott sighed. "Well, if it's any consolation, when I asked Lydia about it last night she wouldn't say anything either."

"Well, you have to hand it to her. The girl sure can keep a secret when she wants to." He tossed the covers off completely and threw his legs off the bed to stand.

"She said that opening her mouth is what got her in trouble in the first place." Scott said with a confusion.

"What's your point, Scott?"

"I just don't get it. She acts like you're mad because she said something and you're acting like you're mad because she didn't say something. So which is it?"

Stiles shrugged. "It's both."

Scott shook his head. "Fine, whatever. Don't tell me."

"I wasn't planning on it."

"Okay, then." Scott cleared his throat. "Well, Kira's still out of town, visiting family for Spring Break, but her mom is here. Maybe we should take a picture of that kanji and ask her what it means."

"Allison sent me a picture last night." He said as he reached for his phone. He found the picture and held the phone out so Scott could see it.

Scott reached for it and Stiles snatched it away. "What are you doing?" Scott asked his brother.

"Look, don't touch."

"What? You think I'm going to break your phone?"

"No, I think you're going to accidentally go snooping and see something you won't be able to _un_ see, and something that I'm sure _Allison_ would _not_ want you see, and _definitely_ something that _I_ would not feel comfortable about you seeing."

They blinked a few times at each other before Scott nodded. "Look, don't touch. Got it." Stiles held up the phone again and Scott leaned forward to see the picture. "What did she use to carve it?"

"I assume the same piece of glass that she almost sliced into her arm with." He put the phone back on his bedside table. "Alright, I've got to take a shower." Stiles stood and stretched.

"Alright, you do that. I'll make sure Noshiko is okay to see us today and then text Lydia and Allison." There was a loud clanging coming from the kitchen. "First, I should make sure Dad is okay with breakfast."

"He sounds like he's struggling." Stiles noted.

Scott nodded sadly. "See you downstairs in a bit."

* * *

Lydia rolled over as she heard her phone go off. She was getting a text. She reached for the phone, wishing she could sleep a few more hours since she was restless the night before.

_Going to talk to Noshiko about the kanji on Allison's counter. Picking you up around 2._

It was from Scott.

_Okay._ She texted back. It was just after 10 a.m. So she still had about four hours before he would be there. Probably with Stiles.

Stiles. He'd confused her the night before. She still hadn't decided if she wanted to forgive him. As far as she knew, he never forgave her, so why should she give him the satisfaction? For a moment, everything had almost seemed normal though. It reminded her of how much she missed him, but like she told Scott, too much had changed for that to all go back to normal. Too much had broken between them. Not even the strongest super glue would have a chance of mending things.

Lydia groaned and rolled back over. Why did life have to be messy and complicated? She fell asleep again, for about an hour before she woke up completely frustrated in herself for not being able to sleep for more than an hour at a time. Maybe part of her was worried she was going to sleepwalk again and this time it would be in the middle of the day in lots of traffic.

She finally got up, made herself something to eat, then took a shower and got dressed. She made sure to take her time getting ready to keep herself busy. She felt a nervousness settle into the pit of stomach every time she thought she was done.

Finally she heard someone pull into the driveway and she got a text from Scott.

_Here_.

She took a deep breath and headed down the stairs and out the door, locking it behind her. Scott was out of the jeep, so that Lydia could get into the back seat.

"You look tired." Stiles commented when Lydia climbed inside the vehicle. Scott looked back and forth between his brother and the banshee.

"I didn't sleep well." she muttered, and Scott let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, then got back inside and closed the door.

"Me either." Stiles said as he eased off the brake and headed toward Allison's house. The car ride to Allison's was silent. It wasn't until Scott got out of the car to let Allison in that they realized Lydia had fallen asleep, head against the window.

"No wonder it was so quiet." Stiles joked.

Allison walked out of her house and up to the jeep. "Do you want to sit in the back with Lydia or the front with Stiles?" Scott asked her.

"Uh...backseat is fine." She shrugged and climbed in. Scott let her In and got back into the passenger's seat. "How long has Lydia been asleep?"Allison asked the boys.

"I don't know." Stiles told her. "But she said she didn't sleep well last night."

"Then I won't wake her up until we get to Kira's." It was about another twenty minute ride until they reached the Yukimuras' house. "What happened when you took her home last night?"

Stiles shrugged. "Nothing. I just dropped her off." Allison didn't look convinced, but Stiles was too tired to argue.

Silence settled in the jeep once again.

Stiles looked around the jeep and seemed to be thinking about something.

"What?" Scott asked his brother.

"Uh...nothing." Stiles shook his head. "I'll tell you later."

Finally, they pulling into the Yukimuras' driveway. Stiles and Scott got out first and waited for Allison and Lydia.

"Lydia." Allison said softly and shook her slightly. Lydia began to stir and looked around, almost having forgotten where she was. Slowly it all came back to her. "Wake up, sleepyhead."

Lydia rubbed her eyes and sat up. "When did you get here? How long was I out for?"

"You guys picked me up about 20 minutes ago and you were already asleep."

Lydia yawned and stretched. "Are we here?"

"Yep. Waiting on you."

She unbuckled and followed Allison out of the jeep.

"Did you have a good nap?" Scott asked when the girls got up to the door where the boys were waiting.

"Surprisingly, yes." Lydia told him.

"Is someone going to knock?" Allison asked them.

"I already did." Stiles told her. As soon as the words left his mouth, Noshiko opened the door.

"Come on in, I've made tea."

The four kids followed Kira's mother inside and to their kitchen.

"When does Kira get back again?" Scott asked, making conversation.

"Late tomorrow or early Sunday. She has to be ready for school on Monday." The teens sat down and Noshiko came around with a tea kettle. "So, what brings you here today again?"

"I'm sleepwalking." Lydia told her.

"And sleep-carving." Stiles added.

Allison pulled her phone out. "She scratched this into my kitchen counter." Noshiko looked at the picture.

"That says 'memory'."

"Memory?" Lydia questioned. "But what does that mean?"

"Yeah," Scott began. "Like, does it mean she has a good memory?"

"Or maybe it just means you really like the musical _Cats_." Allison offered.

"Not helping." Lydia said shaking her head.

"What if it means you lost a memory?" Stiles said, and everyone turned to look at him.

"What?" Lydia asked.

"I'm just spit-balling here," He began. "But, last night you said you felt like you were forgetting something. So, what if you did. You lost a memory and your subconscious wants you to remember what it is."

"What if it's not just one memory?" Scott added.

"You're saying I'm losing my entire memory?" Lydia asked, her voice breaking. She felt her heart beat faster and she took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

"What if it means just the opposite." Allison started. "I mean, instead of losing a memory, what if you're gaining new memories. I mean... we haven't discussed the fact that you wrote this in Japanese. You don't know Japanese."

"Noshiko," Stiles addressed the older woman. "You've been quiet. What do you think?"

"I think that it could mean that your memory is important to you. Maybe you're worried about a memory you have. Or, maybe you saw the kanji somewhere and the fact that it means 'memory' is a coincidence. I wouldn't worry about it too much just yet."

Allison and Scott traded places when they got back into the Jeep, Allison sitting in the passenger's seat while Scott sat in the back with Lydia.

"Is anybody else, hungry?" Stiles asked.

"Starving." Allison told him.

"Lydia?" Scott asked, looking toward the banshee.

Lydia shrugged. "I could eat."

"Let's go to Tate's." Allison said. "I haven't had it all week and I'm kind of going through withdrawal."

"You're crazy." Lydia told her as she shook her head. "But I'm fine with that."

"Scott," Stiles addressed his brother, "Any objections?"

"Nope, sounds good to me."

"Alright, well Tate's it is."

Lydia looked out the window and watched the trees pass by. She was trying not to dwell on the 'memory' revelation, she doubted it would come to her while she was wide awake anyway. She felt like she blinked and all of a sudden they were pulling into the diner parking lot.

"Hey, guys." Isaac greeted them when they walked inside.

"Hey," Scott said, "I didn't realize you were working today."

"Yeah," The beta replied. "They called me in. Just the four of you?"

"Yeah." Allison said.

Isaac looked between the teens, then leaned toward Allison and in a stage whisper, said "Wait, does Stiles realize that Lydia is with you guys?"

"Ha Ha." Stiles said sarcastically.

"Actually," Scott said looking at the banshee. "I'm not sure if _Lydia_ realizes she's with us." Lydia was staring straight ahead, not even paying attention to anything.

"Lydia?" Allison asked, then snapped her fingers in front of her friend's face.

Lydia jerked her head up. "What?"

"You just, sort of zoned out there for a second." Isaac told her.

"I did? Wait... Isaac, I didn't know you worked on Fridays."

Isaac exchanged looks with Allison and Scott. "Is she serious?"

"We just had this conversation." Stiles told her. "He was called in."

"Oh...I...I guess I _was_ zoned out."

"Alright then," Isaac changed the subject. "Just come sit over here." Stiles and Allison sat on one side while Scott and Lydia sat on the other. Stiles and Lydia were sitting across from each other on the outside of the booth. "What do you guys want to drink?"

"Chocolate milkshake." Stiles and Lydia said at the same time, then their eyes snapped up to look at each other.

"Actually," Allison said. "A chocolate milkshake sounds great."

"Yeah, same." Scott told him.

"Alright," Isaac announced. "Four chocolate milkshakes coming up."

"Stiles?" Allison asked looking over at her boyfriend. Stiles was staring the menu with a confused expression. "What's wrong?"

Stiles shook his head. "I don't know why I ordered a chocolate milkshake."

"We all ordered chocolate milkshakes." Allison reasoned. "It's not a big deal."

"No I..." He took a deep breath. "I was going to say water... then I opened my mouth and that's not what came out." He began to chew on his thumbnail as he looked at the menu without actually reading it.

"Do you _want_ a water? I mean, it's Isaac. He doesn't care, just let him know you changed your mind."

"No, it's...I'm fine. A milkshake is fine."

Allison nodded, unsure. "Okay."

"I think I'm going to get the double bacon cheeseburger." Scott announced. "What about you guys?"

"I'm going to get the BBQ Chicken Salad." Allison told him. "Stiles?"

"Uh," Stiles shook his head as he tried to get his mind back on track. "I haven't even looked yet."

"Lydia?" Scott asked. "What about you?" Lydia didn't make a move or a sound.

"Lydia?" Allison tried. Nothing.

Stiles looked up and knocked her leg with his foot under the table. Her head popped up and she glared at him.

"You weren't answering them." He told her quickly before she could go off on him.

Her expression softened as she looked at Scott and Allison. "I'm sorry...My mind is just preoccupied."

"Noshiko told you not to worry about it." Scott said.

"I know..." She sighed. "But I can't just not worry about it. What if you and Stiles are right? What if I _am_ losing my memory."

"We're not right." Stiles tried to reassure her. Lydia looked up at him and into his eyes.

"Your gut is right like 90% of the time."

"Yeah, well now my gut is saying I was wrong." Stiles took a deep breath and reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "You'll be fine. _Everything_ will be okay. We'll figure out what the kanji means and then you'll realize that you had nothing to be worried about." Lydia looked down at his hand holding hers, a comfort settling in around her. He rubbed his thumb in a calming motion on the back of her hand and she felt herself relaxing. "Okay?" She met his eyes again and nodded slowly.

Allison glared at their hands. She wanted them to get along, but not like this. Jealousy crept up her spine and she opened her mouth to say something when Isaac quickly slammed a milkshake down in front of her. Stiles and Lydia broke apart.

"Four chocolate milkshakes!" he announced, then shared a glance with Scott. Allison looked up at the alpha, and he was giving her a knowing look. Her heartbeat. The two wolves must have heard it. "Alright, so I overheard the BBQ chicken salad and a double bacon cheeseburger. What about you guys?" He asked, turning to Lydia and Stiles.

"Can I just get a cup of chicken and dumplings?" Lydia asked. "I'm not really hungry."

"Sure. Stiles?"

"Uh... The pot roast."

"What two sides?"

"Ma-" Stiles started.

"Mashed potatoes and macaroni and cheese." Lydia answered, looking bewildered at herself.

"Yeah." Stiles said with confusion. "That's it."

"Alright." Isaac said with a look between the two former friends. "I'll go put this in."

"Lydia, how did you know what I was going to get?"

Lydia shook her head. "I'll be right back." She quickly got up and ran to the bathroom. Stiles looked back at Allison and Scott.

"That was weird...right?"

"Well... you guys _have_ known each other forever." Allison said as she twirled her straw around in her milkshake.

Stiles narrowed his eyes in her direction and was about to say something when his phone began to ring. He sighed and pulled the phone out of his pocket then looked at the caller ID.

"It's Aubrey." He said then looked at Allison. "Kayce's with her." He answered the phone then stood up and walked out of the diner.

Scott turned back to Allison. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Allison shrugged.

"Really? Because your heartbeat didn't sound fine and..." He motioned his head toward her hand. She looked down and saw scratches on the table, and quickly hid her hands. "Were you jealous?"

Allison picked up the paper that came from her straw and began playing with it. "I don't know...maybe a little." She took a deep breath. "It's just...when I met you guys. Stiles and Lydia had already had this history and I knew that they were just really good friends, so seeing them interact..it didn't bother me. But that was the firs time they've really interacted since I found out that they had been more than friends...so now I just see it as my boyfriend and his ex-girlfriend having a moment."

"For what it's worth, they never actually dated...at least that's what they told me...so...she's not technically his ex-girlfriend."

Allison glared at him. "It doesn't feel like it's worth much."

"Okay, well then maybe it'll help to know they didn't think of it that way."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, that I was listening to their heartbeats and smelling their chemo signals. Lydia was scared and Stiles calmed her down. There were no other emotions there."

Allison nodded. "Thanks."

Lydia walked back over to the table and sat down. "Where'd he go?" She asked pointing to the empty spot.

"He got a phone call." Scott told her. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She nodded. "Just went to the bathroom. Splashed some water on my face."

The bell above the door _ding_ ed and Stiles walked back inside.

"Hey, what did she need?" Scott asked his brother.

"Kayce isn't feeling well. I need to pick her up."

"Well," Allison started. "Let Isaac know that we need it to-go."

"Isaac?" Scott whispered then looked back at the group. "He's got it."

Isaac came back over with their food in boxes. They paid him then left.

"Hey, Ali," Stiles started when they got into the car. Allison was in the front. "I'm going to drop you off first. Aubrey's place is between yours and Lydia's."

"Yeah, okay." Allison nodded. Stiles pulled up to Allison's house and she kissed him goodbye before getting out of the jeep. Allison looked at him curiously as she pulled away and Stiles looked down. "Bye." She said and walked away. Scott noticed the interaction but didn't say anything. Especially not with Lydia sitting right there. She didn't seem to have noticed anything.

Stiles left Allison's and drove to Aubrey's house and had barely put the jeep in park when he jumped out.

Lydia looked up at the house in front of her. "Wow, I haven't been _here_ in awhile."

Scott looked at Lydia then back to the house. "Have you talked to Aaron recently?"

"Not since he moved away. Besides. I've _got_ a long-distance boyfriend that deserves my attention more than an Ex."

Stiles knocked on the door and Aubrey's middle daughter, RaeLee, answered. "Hey, Stiles. I'll go get Kayce for you."

"Thanks." He said and stepped inside the house as RaeLee walked away. Kayce came around the corner in tears and Stiles scooped her up into his arms. "Hey, Nugget." He said softly. The eight year-old sobbed into her brother's shoulder. Aubrey came around with Kayce's things. "What happened?" He asked.

"She got sick. I think it may have been something she ate, but it could be a virus. She's wearing some of Nessa's clothes. I'm washing hers right now. Either way, just keep her close to a bathroom and try to get her to eat something light later, like saltines and ginger ale. Maybe pick up some Gatorade to keep the fluids in her system. You don't want her to get dehydrated."

"Thanks, Aubie." Stiles said and Kayce lifted her head.

"Bye Aunt Aubie."

"Bye Sweetie. Feel better. Call me if you need anything, Stiles."

"We will." He told her and walked back toward the jeep.

"Who's in the backseat?" Kayce asked. "I saw someone move back there."

"Oh, it's... it's Lydia."

"Lydia?! I haven't seen her in a long time."

Stiles got to the passenger's side and Scott got out. "How are you feeling?" Scott asked as he touched his sister's arm.

"Better." She said after a moment.

"Good." Scott smiled and leaned the front seat forward.

"Lydia!" Kayce said happily as she climbed into the back.

"Hey, Kayce!"

"Is Lydia coming home with us?" Kayce asked.

"No," Stiles told her as he got into the driver's seat. "We're dropping Lydia off at her house."

Kayce looked back at the banshee. "But I miss you."

"Kayce, you're sick." Stiles reasoned.

"I feel fine." She told her brother.

"You won't feel fine for long." Scott told her.

Lydia looked over at Kayce who had started to cry again. "Hey," she soothed. "I promise we'll hang out soon, okay? When you're feeling better." Kayce nodded and laid her head down in Lydia's lap.

Several minutes later, the little girl was asleep and they were pulling into Lydia's driveway. Stiles got out and moved his seat forward so that Lydia could get out of the back. The banshee carefully moved herself out from underneath Kayce's head and Stiles grabbed her hand to help her down.

"See you later." He told her.

"Just so you know," Lydia turned on him and raised her voice slightly. Stiles was taken aback. "I intend on keeping my promise to your sister. So don't you dare keep me away from her again."

It took Stiles a moment to find his voice. "I didn't realize I was keeping you away from her before."

"Well," Lydia started feeling herself calm down. "It was implied."

Stiles nodded. "Well then, I promise I won't keep you from each other."

"Good."

"Good." Stiles nodded again.

Lydia stared a moment then said, "Bye." and walked quickly toward her door.

Stiles climbed back in and looked at Scott who was grinning widely. "What's with your face?"

"Nothing, it just looks like you guys are starting to get a long again."

"Do you not remember that it was just last night that you and Liam were the only things keeping us from from physically attacking each other?" He said as he left Lydia's driveway.

"No, I do. But think something changed when you thought she was going to hurt herself."

Stiles nodded and was silent for a moment. "I apologized last night."

"For what?" Scott asked as if he was about to grab popcorn and listen to some juicy gossip.

"For last night." Stiles said with a confused look. What else could he have been talking about? "You know, for fighting and being a jerk."

"And?"

"And what?"

"And what happened? What did she say?"

"Nothing." Stiles shrugged. "I told her she didn't have to forgive me and she didn't. So, don't go thinking it's all rainbows and sunshine again."

"Well...have you forgiven her?"

"For what?"

"For whatever it is that you won't tell me about."

Stiles scoffed. "No. Definitely not."

"So, then why should she forgive you?"

"She shouldn't. That's why I told her that she didn't have to."

Scott nodded and the car fell silent for a little bit before he said, "So can I ask you something?"

"If it's something else about me and Lydia then I swear to God-"

"No, it's about you and Allison."

"What about us?"

"She kissed you when she got out of the jeep and you guys had some kind of silent conversation. What happened?"

Stiles sighed and looked back to make sure Kayce was still asleep. "I didn't kiss her back."

"What? Why not?"

"I don't know. I guess I wasn't expecting it, and I was focused on getting to Kayce. I just wasn't feeling it I guess. She was mad though. I could tell." Scott nodded and Stiles took a deep breath. "So, how is she?" He motioned to the back seat with his head. "Is she really sick?"

Scott nodded. "Yeah. She was definitely in pain."

"I hate seeing her sick." Stiles said.

"Me too." Scott agreed. "Can I ask you something else?"

"Oh for the love of God! What?"

"Just...earlier...you looked around the jeep like you were thinking about something, and you said you'd tell me later."

"Oh..." Stiles chuckled. "It was nothing."

Scott groaned. "Just tell me!"

"I just... I looked around, and saw you, and Lydia and Allison, and I just had the realization that I'd see everyone in the jeep naked."

Scott raised his eyebrow. "When have you seen me naked?"

"Not recently." Stiles assured him. "I mean... we _have_ known each other for like 13 years and we've been brothers for nine... Although...there was that time about three years ago, when I accidentally walked in on you in the shower. Seriously, dude...there's a lock on the door for a reason. If Kira were in the jeep I still could have said I'd seen everybody naked because you _don't_ _lock_ the _door_.

Suddenly they heard Kayce shuffle and whimper in the backseat. "Mommy." She whined.

Stiles bit his lip and Scott looked out of the window and they both sighed.

* * *

Lydia had another restless night. Fortunately, it didn't seem to have involved any involuntary strolls. Honestly, the best sleep she had gotten was in Stiles's jeep.

"Lydia!" Her mother called her. "The mechanic just called. We can go pick up your car!"

"Be there in a minute!" She called back.

Her mother drove her to the mechanic and paid for the work that had to be done. Lydia didn't think it was worth it. Once your vehicle is wrecked during a supernatural fight, it wasn't worth saving. Her mother thought differently.

Once Lydia got back behind the wheel of her car, she tried to decide on what to do. Now that she had freedom again she wasn't sure where she wanted to go. She decided to check in on Kayce... maybe she could visit with her.

_How's Kayce?_ She texted to Scott. She had just gotten so used to texting Scott, plus she was pretty sure she'd deleted Stiles's number from her phone.

_Still sick._ She got back a few minutes later, _We think it's the stomach flu_.

_Poor thing. Tell her I hope she feels better._

_Will do. Stiles has been taking care of her all night and all day today._

_But you're the werewolf that doesn't get sick._

_I tried to tell him._

Suddenly, Lydia didn't feel well. Maybe it was talking about Kayce having the stomach flu, and the realization that she had contact with her the day before, but she decided that home was definitely the best place for her.

She got sick as soon as she got home and on Sunday, Scott had texted her informing her that Stiles was also sick. She thought that maybe being sick and tired would actually help her sleep, but no such luck. She just kept waking up to go to the bathroom and her mother was doing her best to take care of her.

Allison had sent Stiles a text asking if she could come visit him.

_Fine vine part in Dublin._ He had texted back.

_What? You're in Dublin?_

_On such._

_What are you saying?_

_Um dick._

_You're a dick? Well...I could have told you that._

"Scott." Stiles called weakly.

"You rang?" Scott said as he walked in a few minutes later.

Stiles held his phone out. "Talk to Allison. She doesn't understand!" He whined.

Scott took his brother's phone and looked at the previous texts. He laughed as he texted her back.

_Stiles is sick, and apparently autocorrect is working against him today. He'll text when he's feeling better.- Scott_

Scott hit send and put the phone back. "All done. Now, just stop texting until you feel better. Who knows what you'll end up saying."

"Mmkay bye." He mumbled and rolled over.

Unfortunately for Stiles, he felt better by late afternoon Sunday which meant he had to go to school the next day, and unfortunately for Lydia she still felt like crap late evening Sunday night.

"Are you feeling better?" Allison asked Stiles when she saw him at his locker.

"Yes and no." Stiles shrugged. "The virus ran it's course, but now I'm in the day-after-being-sick funk."

"Lydia was still sick last night." Allison told him. "I don't think she'll be at school today."

Stiles looked up at Allison and saw something just over her head. "Well, think again." Allison turned around and saw Lydia walking into the school .

"Lydia!" Allison said in surprise.

"Hi!" She said brightly.

"How are you feeling?"

"Loads better. That stomach flu kicked my ass though."

"Tell me about it." Stiles mumbled.

Allison glanced at Stiles before turning back to Lydia. "If you were still sick last night, shouldn't you be at home still?"

"I'm fine."

"How are you so perky?" Stiles asked. "I was starting to feel better yesterday afternoon and I still feel like death this morning. There was no convincing my dad to let me stay home, though."

Lydia shrugged. "I don't know, but I only have one class, so I figured it wasn't worth it to skip anyway."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "I've got to get to class." He kissed Allison's cheek and walked away.

Allison turned back to Lydia. "Come on. We've got class too."

Allison linked her arm with Lydia and the two of them went to their AP Biology class. "So, is your dad home yet?" Lydia asked her best friend.

"No." Allison sighed. "He was supposed to be home yesterday, but he pushed it back to today, hopefully." She pouted. "I miss him, Lyd."

"Have you ever been away from him this long before?" She asked as they walked into the classroom.

"No! And I hate it! This is _not_ happening again. Not if I have anything to do with it." Allison sat down at her desk and Lydia sat down at same table, just right next to her.

"Well at this point, he may as well stay gone until Thursday." Lydia told her as she pulled out her book.

"What? Why would you say that?" Allison asked as she did the same.

"Because Wednesday is the full moon." Lydia said, with a tone that suggested Allison should have realized this sooner.

"Ugh!" Allison groaned as she hit her head against the hardback biology book. "I totally forgot."

"That's why I'm here." Lydia shrugged.

"Alright class," Mrs. Finch began. "I hope everyone enjoyed their Spring Break, but I also hope that you remembered that you have a test today." The entire class groaned. "So, with that being said, books away, writing utensils out and I'm passing the tests out now."

Allison clicked her pen nervously before Lydia finally grabbed her hand to stop her.

"Calm down." She whispered.

"Sorry." Allison mouthed back.

Mrs. Finch gave them their tests and Lydia went straight to work. She had forgotten that there was going to be a test today, but luckily she remembered what they had talked about in class the week before Spring Break. She had finished the first page of the test when she realized, wait...she had _forgotten_ about the test? Lydia didn't forget things like that. She would have been studying for it non-stop the entire Spring Break. Did this have something to do with the memory kanji? Was she, in fact, losing her memory?

All of a sudden, none of the questions made sense. She could feel Allison staring at her and Mrs. Finch was giving her strange glances. Her breathing was picking up, and her heartbeat had accelerated. Lydia stood up, knocking her chair over in the process.

"Lydia?" Mrs. Finch questioned.

The banshee was suddenly overcome with a wave of nausea. She threw her hand over her mouth and ran out of the room.

Allison looked up at Mrs. Finch, silently asking her if she could go check on Lydia. Mrs. Finch gave her a tiny nod and she quickly got up, picked Lydia's chair up and then followed her friend out the door.

Allison didn't see Lydia in the hallway, but went to the bathroom across the hall to see if she was there.

A girl opened the door looking like she was going to be sick, and Allison heard the retching coming from inside.

"Lydia?" She called.

"Yeah?" She heard back. Her voice sounded small. Allison could see her friend's feet from under the only closed stall.

"Are you okay?"

"I don't know." Allison could tell she was crying. The toilet flushed and Lydia walked out of the bathroom pale and shaking. "Do you have any gum or something?" Lydia asked as she went to the sink.

"In my purse." Lydia nodded. "I knew you shouldn't have come to school today." Allison said shaking her head.

"I'm fine... well at least I _was_ fine. I just freaked out."

Allison nodded. "I could tell." Lydia rinsed her mouth out with water as her friend spoke. "Maybe you should go home."

"I'm not sick." Lydia said. "Not with the stomach flu. There's no way I still have that. I just got scared."

"But, Lydia you're never scared."

"Yeah, well...I am now." She took a deep breath. "I didn't remember about the test. I'm the one who always remembers that kind of thing. I don't even remember her announcing it."

"Wait, this is about the kanji, isn't it?"

"I'm losing my mind." Lydia sobbed.

"Lydia, listen to me. You're not losing anything. Not your memories, not your mind. There's probably a simple explanation to why you didn't remember her announcing it. I mean, I don't remember it either! Maybe we weren't there, or maybe we were talking and not paying attention. I could go on and on. There are so many possibilities, that don't have to do with memories and kanjis. Okay?"

Lydia nodded. "Okay. You're...you're right."'

"Of course I am." Allison smiled. "Come on. Let's go finish the test." Allison turned to walk away and Lydia grabbed her wrist. Allison turned her head to see Lydia faced toward the door, but her eyes darting from side to side as she if she was listening to something. "Lydia?" Allison asked after a moment.

Lydia shook her head, "I don't think anybody is going to finish the test today."

Allison's eyes widened and she ran back to their classroom. When she got back inside, Mrs. Finch was on the ground. Several kids stood around her and a few of them were on their phones, presumably with 911.

Lydia came in a moment later and immediately looked away.

"What happened?" Allison asked a nearby student.

"She just collapsed." She told her.

Another teacher ran in suddenly, clearing a path. With her, she brought the rest of her class which included Scott and Stiles.

"Stiles!" Allison called as she ran toward her boyfriend that had just walked into the hallway. He held her as she whispered to him what happened.

"Hey," Scott said to Lydia as he walked over to her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded. "I'm fine. I can't say the same for Mrs. Finch." She shrugged.

"What do you think happened?" Scott asked.

Lydia shook her head. "I don't know. Allison and I were in the bathroom."

"Is she going to be okay?" Scott asked the banshee.

Lydia shook her head again. "No. She's not."


	3. Flashback 1.2

_Stiles woke up in the middle of the day on Saturday. He looked at his phone and had a text from Lydia._

How's Scott? _She asked. He got up and walked downstairs and Scott was watching cartoons with Kayce._

" _Hey," Stiles began, speaking to him._

_Scott looked up. "Hey, welcome back to the land of the living. You must have been really tired."_

" _I was. How are you?" Stiles asked as he plopped down on the other side of Kayce._

_Scott shrugged. "I'm fine."_

He says he's fine. _Stiles texted back._

Do you believe him? _She asked._

_Stiles looked back at his brother._

I'm not sure.

" _Who are you texting?" His little sister asked as she peered over to his phone._

" _Nunya."_

" _What?" She asked curiously._

" _Nunya business."_

_Scott rolled his eyes. "Way to bring back the nineties there, Stiles."_

" _Who's Allison?" Kayce asked._

_Scott looked up at his brother with a raised eyebrow and Stiles looked down at his phone and saw he had a new text from Allison._

" _She's just a friend from school." Stiles told her as he looked at the text._

Thanks again for taking me home. My dad wants to like make you dinner or something. _The text read._

 _Stiles smiled and texted back._ Lol. It's no problem. Really. Although, I would never say no to food.

_He looked up at his siblings once he hit 'send.' They were both giving him the same look. The one that said 'Ooooh Stiles has a crush.' "What?"_

" _So, Stiles." Scott began. "What happened when you took Allison home last night?"_

" _Nothing." He said, shaking his head and shrugging._

" _Really?_ Nothing's _got you blushing pretty hard." The comment made Stiles blush even deeper which Scott didn't even think was possible at that point. "Do you like her?"_

" _No!" Stiles said quickly._

_Kayce turned to Scott and whispered loudly, "He said that really fast."_

" _I know!" Scott whispered back._

" _Uh, guys I can hear you. I'm right here."_

_Kayce smirked and began singing, "Stiles and Allison sitting in a tree. K-M-I-S-N-U-G!"_

_Stiles shook his head. "It's K-I-S-S-I-N-G."_

_Kayce gasped and turned to Scott again. "He said they're kissing!"_

_Stiles's eyes widened and Scott laughed. "No, that's not what I- I just meant- I was telling you how the song goes!"_

" _A likely story." Kayce crossed her arms._

" _You know..."Stiles began as he mimicked his sister's movement. "You're kind of evil."_

_The two of them had a short staring contest before Stiles moved his hands to her sides and began to tickle her._

" _Stop!" She giggled and Scott joined in. "Stop it!" She laughed again, "I'm gonna pee!"_

" _If someone pees on my couch," They heard and the boys both stopped tickling their sister and looked toward the front door where their mother had just walked in._

" _Mommy!" Kayce yelled and ran toward her._

" _Kayce!" She yelled back and gave her a hug._

" _Knock knock." They heard before a woman with auburn hair stepped in behind Melissa._

" _Aunt Aubie!" Kayce exclaimed before hugging the new face._

" _What are you doing here, Aubie?" Scott asked as he stood._

" _I just brought your mom home. I picked her up since you took her car to the party. I just wanted to make sure she didn't pass out on the way inside."_

" _Why? What happened?" Stiles asked as a concerned look passed over his face and he got up to stand next to his brother._

" _It was nothing." Melissa sighed. "I'm fine! Aubrey's being overly protective."_

" _You're my best friend, Melissa. Of course I'm going to be protective."_

_Melissa ignored her friend and turned to her sons. "How was your party last night?"_

" _Okay." Scott told her._

_At the same time, Stiles said, "Nothing happened."_

_Melissa gave a sideways glance to Stiles. "_ Wha t _happened?"_

" _I just said 'nothing'." Stiles shrugged._

" _Which means you're lying so, what happened?"_

" _Allison kissed me." Stiles blurted and Scott whipped his head toward him._

" _What?!" Scott gasped._

" _On the cheek!" Stiles corrected himself. "As a thank you for bringing her home."_

_Melissa creased her forehead. "But I thought that Scott was taking Allison to the party?"_

" _I did." Scott said carefully. "But I wasn't feeling well and I left early."_

" _She wasn't ready to leave yet, so I took her home." Stiles finished._

_Melissa looked the boys for a moment, not sure if she believed them, but too tired to convince herself one way or another. She shook her head. "Fine. Whatever. I'm going to bed." Aubrey took a step toward Melissa before the brunette turned around to face her friend. "Aubrey, I'm fine. Just let me go to bed." Aubrey crossed her arms and stared Melissa down for a moment before Melissa sighed, giving in. "Fine. You can walk me up, but you're leaving once I get to my room."_

_Kayce followed the two women up the stairs and Scott turned to his brother. "So...she kissed you?"_

" _On the cheek." Stiles repeated as he sighed and sat back down on the couch._

_Scott nodded slowly and sat down next to Stiles. "Does she like you?"_

_Stiles shrugged. "I don't know."_

" _Do you like her?"_

" _I don't know!"_

_Scott paused. "Does this have anything to do with Lydia?"_

_Stiles whipped his head toward Scott with confusion written all over his face. "What the hell does Lydia have to do with Allison kissing my cheek?"_

" _Well, you were kissing her last night."_

_Stiles shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "That was to make Aaron jealous."_

" _How would-"_

" _I don't know." Stiles answered abruptly before Scott could even finish his question. "Ask Lydia. I'm just her best friend. It's not my job to understand what happens in her brain, it's my job to just go along with it."_

_Scott looked down. "So...Allison?"_

_Stiles sighed. "I don't know. We've already discussed that she's hot. I honestly think she was just thanking me for taking her home. I don't think she wanted it to mean anything else. Which makes me very hesitant to decipher any feelings I may have for her."_

" _Who do you have feelings for?" Aubrey asked as she appeared at the bottom of the stairs._

" _Al-" Scott started before Stiles elbowed him._

" _No one."_

_Aubrey shook her head. "I'm so glad I only have one son."_

" _But, you have two daughter's," Stiles told her. "Isn't that worse?"_

_Aubrey glared for a moment. "Why would you remind me of that?" She sighed and walked toward the door._

" _Sorry?" Stiles offered._

_Aubrey waved it off. "Don't worry about it. I'll see you guys later." She paused and turned back to the boys. "And...give me a call if your mom starts feeling bad again."_

" _What happened to make you so concerned?" Scott asked her._

_Aubrey shook her head. "Don't tell her I told you, but she got really lightheaded toward the end of our shift. It just worries me a little."_

" _I'll keep an eye out on her." Scott told her._

_She nodded. "Thanks. I'll see you boys later."_

_Stiles spent the rest of the weekend fielding texts from Allison and Lydia. Scott was mostly concerned with Melissa who he had seen getting sick several times. She told him it was food poisoning and not to text Aubrey about it. He did anyway._

_On Monday, Scott and Stiles took Kayce to school. Monday was normally one of Melissa's days to take her, but Scott convinced her that she needed rest, and she couldn't argue with that._

" _So," Stiles began once they dropped Kayce off. "This is the first time you're going to see Allison since the party."_

" _Yeah..."_

" _Have you thought about what you're going to say to her?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _Well she said that you haven't texted her an apology or anything all weekend. I told her you just wanted to do it in person."_

_Scott groaned. "Why didn't you tell me that she wanted me to say something? I would have just texted her."_

" _Seriously? Scott, you left the girl stranded at a party where she knew like 3 people and almost accepted a ride from a complete stranger. And if you texted her after she said something to me, it wouldn't mean as much because then she would know I told you to do it. This way, everyone wins."_

_Scott sighed. "I guess you're right."_

_Stiles shrugged. "Of course I am. So, what are you going to say?"_

" _I don't know. I guess I'll wing it."_

_When they pulled into the school parking lot, Lydia pulled in right next to them. Stiles got out of the Jeep and Lydia grabbed him in a hug._

" _Uh...hey..." He said slowly as he wrapped his arms around his best friend's tiny frame. "What's going on?"He asked her when she lingered with the hug._

" _Aaron ignored me all weekend."_

_Stiles sighed, partially because he was relieved it wasn't anything more serious._

" _Maybe you should just move on from Aaron?" Stiles suggested. Lydia backed away suddenly._

" _That's easy for you to say. Allison actually likes you."_

_Stiles looked back at Scott, but he had already walked toward the school. "Lydia!" He chastised as he turned back to face her._

" _What? I thought you said you told him about the kiss."_

" _I did...and for the last time...it was just on the cheek! It didn't mean anything."_

" _Are you sure it didn't mean anything?" Stiles didn't say anything, but looked down. Lydia shrugged. "I'll find out for you."_

" _No!" He said quickly as his head popped up._

" _Why not?" She raised eyebrow._

" _Because...reasons..."_

" _Those reasons being...?"_

_Stiles sighed. "Well, first off...if you ask her, then she'll know that I told you about it and then she'll think that I was the one who asked you to find out. And then what if she thinks that I like her, but she doesn't like me and it just makes things really awkward."_

_Lydia sighed. "If it gets awkward, then it isn't worth having her as a friend. Plus, she already said you were hot."_

" _Yeah, but she also said she wasn't looking for a relationship."_

" _Well...not exactly."_

_Stiles shook his head. "I'm going to class."_

_By the end of the day, Scott had missed several chances of apologizing to Allison. In his defense, there were a few times where he'd gotten interrupted right as he was getting her attention. Finally, it was the end of the school day and he needed to get to lacrosse practice, but he wanted to talk to her first._

" _Allison!" He called when he saw her leaving the school. She stopped at hearing her name and Scott ran up to her. "Hey, I've been trying to talk to you all day. I wanted to apologize."_

" _For what?" Allison seemed genuinely confused._

" _For leaving you at the party on Friday." He began as she began looking at her phone. "I got sick."_

_She was still looking at her phone when she said,"Oh, I know. Stiles told me."_

" _Yeah, but I thought you'd want to hear it from me."_

_Allison looked up and waved it off. "It's fine." She seemed sort of distracted as she peered past Scott's head._

" _Oh...well...ok-"_

" _Hey, Stiles!" Allison called suddenly._

_Scott turned around to see his brother coming up behind them._

" _Hey, what's up?" Stiles asked as he approached._

" _My dad's here. He wants to meet you." She grabbed his arm and led him over to a black SUV._

" _I don't know if I look presentable enough to be meeting your dad." Stiles joked. He'd just gotten out of P.E., but hadn't showered because he was about to go to lacrosse practice._

" _You look fine." She told him. They were still far enough away that he had time to over-analyze the statement."Hey, Dad." Allison addressed the man that had gotten out of the SUV. "This is my friend, Stiles, that I was telling you about. Stiles, this is my dad, Chris Argent."_

" _Hi, Mr. Argent." Stiles reached his hand out to shake Chris's._

" _Please, call me Chris." He told him as he shook his hand. "I just wanted to thank you in person for taking Allison home."_

" _Oh, believe me. It was nothing."_

" _It may not seem like a big deal to you, but it means a lot to me. You should join us for dinner one day. I make a mean chicken alfredo."_

" _I love chi-... well...food in general."_

_Allison giggled next to him and he didn't know her well enough to know what that meant. Chris gave a soft chuckle. "Well, I'll let Allison invite you over one day. Maybe later this week."_

_Stiles nodded. "Yeah, just let me know, and I'll be there." Stiles looked at his watch and his eyes widened. "I really hate to cut this conversation short, but lacrosse practice is starting soon. "_

" _You're on the lacrosse team?" Chris asked him._

" _Yeah," Stiles nodded. "First line." He smiled proudly._

" _Well," Chris said looking at Allison. "Maybe we'll have to come to a game."_

" _Definitely!" He turned back to Allison. "I'll see you later."_

" _Bye." She smiled._

" _Nice to meet you Mr. Arg- I mean... Chris."_

" _You too, Stiles."_

_Stiles waved at the father and daughter then walked away, letting out a breath he didn't realize he was holding in. Well, that whole thing had been confusing._

" _Hey," Stiles said as he walked into the locker room and saw Scott standing in front of his locker. "So, did you get to apologize to Allison?"_

" _Yeah." He said in a daze._

" _Did she forgive you?"_

" _Yeah, I guess... She wasn't really focused on what I was telling her."_

" _Oh." Stiles said with a confused look. "What's wrong with you?"_

_Scott creased his forehead, never looking in his brother's direction. "Who was that you were talking to out there?"_

" _Oh, that was Allison's dad." Scott nodded once. "Why?"_

" _That was the hunter."_

" _What? Allison's father?"_

" _Shot me. With a crossbow."_

" _Allison's fa-"_

" _Yes! Her father!" Scott began breathing heavily. "Oh my God... What do I do?"_

" _Did he see you?"_

" _I don't think so, and if he did, it didn't seem like he recognized me."_

_Stiles nodded and thought about it. "Do you think Allison knows about him?"_

" _How would I know?" Scott yelled._

_Stiles shook his head. He hadn't meant to ask that out loud. "Alright, let's just forget about it then and focus on lacrosse."_

_Scott nodded. "Lacrosse. Got it."_

* * *

" _Mom! I'm home." Lydia announced as she walked into her house._

" _Lydia? I'm in here." She called back. Lydia raised an eyebrow when she heard her mother's voice coming from the living room. Her mom never spent a lot of time in there. She would normally be in the kitchen or her bedroom. When Lydia walked into the room ,she saw her mother lying down on the couch with her foot propped with a pillow._

" _Mom!" Lydia exclaimed. "What happened?" She asked as she raced over to the couch and examined the foot._

" _I slipped coming down the stairs. Two steps from the bottom." She said in frustration. "I think I twisted my ankle."_

_Lydia shook her head. "I think you did more than twist it." She told her as she noticed the ugly bruise already forming. "We need to get you to a doctor. You may have broken it."_

_It took some convincing, but Lydia got her mother up, and together they hobbled out to Lydia's car. Lydia waited in the waiting room when her mom went back. Shortly after she left, Lydia's breath caught in her throat as she saw Aaron Gardner walk through the door with his mother._

" _Go sit down and let me check you in." Aubrey told her son and he nodded. She huffed as she walked over to the receptionist. Aaron was holding his arm as he sat down across from Lydia, but didn't even seem to notice her there._

" _Hey Aaron." Lydia squeaked out after a moment of silence._

_Aaron looked up, a confused expression on his face. "Oh...hey, Lydia." He looked her up and down, probably trying to figure out why she was at an orthopedic office. "What are you doing here?"_

" _Oh...my mom. She did something to her ankle. I'm her ride. What about you? What happened?"_

" _Lacrosse. McCall hit me and I must have landed wrong."_

" _Scott?" Lydia asked, her eyes widening. That wasn't like him...unless it had something to do with this new werewolf thing. She had almost forgotten about that._

" _Yeah..." He nodded. "He disappeared right after it happened. Your boyfriend took him inside I guess."_

" _Boyfriend?" Lydia asked with confusion._

" _Yeah, his brother? Stilinski?"_

_Lydia almost laughed. "You thought Stiles and I were dating?!"_

" _You're not?"_

" _No! We're just friends."_

_Aaron nodded, but raised an eyebrow. "You kiss all of your friends like that?"_

_Lydia sighed."We have a unique relationship."_

" _Oh," He blushed slightly. "I thought you guys had been dating since middle school."_

" _Oh my God." Lydia groaned and covered her face, finally understanding why he never made a move. He was just a nice guy. "I feel like an ass." She told him._

" _Why?" He was confused._

_Lydia opened her mouth to say something, but Aubrey walked over at that moment._

" _You're next." She told her son, then looked over at the girl Aaron had been talking to. "Oh, hey Lydia."_

" _Hey, Aubrey." Lydia smiled._

" _What are you doing here?" She asked. Lydia opened her mouth to respond when Aaron interrupted._

" _Wait a minute. You know my mom?" he asked her._

_Lydia tried to answer that question, but Aubrey answered for her. "Lydia is friends with Melissa's sons. I see her every now and then."_

_Aaron creased his forehead. He knew that his mother was friends with Melissa, he knew that Scott and Stiles were Melissa's sons, and he knew that Lydia was close with them (he was just a little foggy on the details of how close they were), but he'd never put two and two together._

" _Aaron Gardner." Someone with a clipboard called his name._

" _Alright," Aubrey sighed. "Let's go see the damage." She stood up and Aaron stood up too. "It was nice to see you, Lydia."_

" _You too." Lydia smiled._

_Aaron turned back to the girl. "I'll text you later." He told her, then winked. Lydia didn't say anything. She couldn't. She was too busy grinning like an idiot._

" _Well, it's a broken ankle."_

" _That's nice." Lydia said, still smiling._

" _Excuse me?" Lydia suddenly realized her mother was talking to her. She turned her head and saw her mother standing with a pair of crutches._

" _Sorry. I zoned out." She stood and fixed her purse strap. "You ready to go?"_

" _Yes. We're going to have to stop at the pharmacy on the way home though. I have a prescription for some pain medication that needs to be filled."_

* * *

" _You injured my best friend's son?!" Melissa yelled from another room when the front door opened. Stiles glared at his brother._

_Scott closed his eyes. "It's lacrosse?" He yelled back, then winced as he prepared for her to yell again._

" _How are you feeling?" Stiles yelled. Scott gave him an appreciative glance._

_'I feel fine." Melissa said as she walked into the entrance. "I told you there was no reason to worry."_

" _So you're going to work tonight?" Scott asked her._

" _Yes. Of course. Oh, but I am asking off for your first game."_

" _Awesome!" Stiles smiled and forced himself not to look in Scott's direction. He may not be playing in the game if he couldn't get his shifting under control._

* * *

_Lydia floated upstairs, basically on a high after her talk with Aaron. She pulled her phone out and called Stiles to tell him the good news._

" _Hey, Lyd." He answered. "What's up?"_

" _Aaron talked to me!" She squealed._

" _Uh...I thought that you_ had _been_ talking _... Remember, that whole conversation that ended in a makeout session?"_

 _Lydia sighed. "But, remember he'd been ignoring me? Hence the_ other _makeout session?"_

" _Oh, right."_

" _Well, it turns out he thought you and I were dating!"_

" _But I thought that's what you wanted him to think."_

" _Well.. it was, but...come to find out, he's actually a nice guy and didn't want to go after a girl who was taken. And actually...he thought that we'd been dating since middle school-"_

" _Wait..when did you have this conversation with him?"_

" _Oh... at the orthopedic office. My mom broke her ankle-"_

" _Oh my God.. Is she okay?" He sounded concerned._

" _Yeah, she's fine." Lydia blew it off. "Anyway, he showed up with his mom and we talked while Aubrey checked him in. By the way, he said that_ Scott _did that to him?"_

_Stiles sighed. "Yeah, he kind of wolfed out. Tried to kill me." He muttered._

" _Oh my God! Are_ you _okay?"_

" _Yeah." Stiles told her. "He got it under control before actually making contact."_

" _Are you sure him playing lacrosse is a good idea? Remember, we read that the change could be brought on by anything that raises his pulse. Sports will definitely do that."_

" _Yeah, we're working on it." He sighed._

_Lydia heard a chime in her ear. "Hold on a second. I'm getting a text." She told him and checked her phone._

Separated shoulder :( _Aaron had sent her._

" _Aaron texted me." She told Stiles. "He said he has a separated shoulder."_

" _Shit." Stiles mumbled."I'll let Scott know." He sighed. "I'm gonna let you go so you can talk to Aaron. I'll see you tomorrow."_

" _Alright, see you."_

I'm sorry. That sucks. _She said back._

Yeah. It does. Doc said that if the pain got too bad, I could get a cortisone shot.

That's cool. You wouldn't want to make a habit out of it though.

Of course not. My mom IS a nurse. _He reminded her._

Of course.

_They texted back and forth for awhile, but the next thing Lydia knew, her alarm was going off. She hadn't remembered falling asleep. She looked at her phone and saw that she had a few missed texts from Aaron._

Lydia?

 _A few minutes later,_ Did you go to sleep?

 _A few minutes after that._ Okay, well goodnight.

_Lydia sighed contentedly and got up and got ready for school._

_She was at her locker with a smile plastered on her face when she heard Stiles behind her. "Well someone's in a good mood."_

" _Hmm." She said happily._

" _Wow! You're in a_ really _good mood."_

" _I texted him all night until I fell asleep." She told him._

" _Good for you." He smiled._

_She nodded. "Did you talk to Allison?"_

" _What? No. Why?"_

_She shrugged. "No reason. I was just thinking that maybe we could all go on a double date."_

_Stiles paled. "Please tell me you didn't set us up on a double date."_

" _God, relax." She laughed. "I haven't set anything up...yet."_

" _Lyd, I swear to God-"_

" _Guys!" Scott appeared next to them._

" _Hey, man." Stiles started when he saw his brother. "Where did you go? I got out of the jeep and you were gone."_

" _I had a... visitor."_

_Lydia cocked her head to the side sympathetically, "Was it Aunt Flo?"_

_Scott gave her glare. This whole werewolf thing brought on more problems than a high school sophomore should have to deal with... So forgive him if he didn't see the humor. "It was Derek."_

_Lydia's eyes widened and Stiles audibly gasped._

" _What did he want?" Stiles asked._

" _To threaten me. He told me that if I try to play in the game, he'll kill me. He saw me start to shift on the field yesterday."_

" _What is he? A stalker wolf?" Stiles rolled his eyes._

" _You have to tell the coach you can't play." Lydia told him._

" _But we're already down a player after yesterday with Aaron."_

" _Actually..."Lydia began. "He talked about getting a cortisone shot right before the game. So he'll still be able to play, just maybe not at his peak."_

_Scott looked from Lydia to Stiles._

" _Talk to Coach. See what he says." Stiles told him._

_Scott nodded. "Okay...but maybe I'll wait until tomorrow." At that moment, Coach walked by them muttering something about Greenberg and kicking a nearby locker in frustration. "He seems to be in a mood today."_

_Stiles nodded. "Yeah, good idea."_

" _Hey, guys!" Allison smiled brightly as she walked up to the group._

" _Hey, Allison." They all told her in their own ways._

_Lydia's eyes lit up for a moment as if getting a thought, "Hey, can you come to my house after school?" she asked the brunette._

" _Uh..." Allison began and Scott heard her heartbeat pick up and pound loudly in his ears, then suddenly it was gone. He wasn't used to focusing his hearing just yet. "I'll have to ask my aunt if it's okay. She uh...needed my car for later."_

" _Oh, if you need to, I can follow you home and then drive back to my house. Or, we could just hang out at yours-"_

" _No!" Allison said quickly, the other three friends jumped at her suddenness and gave her a confused look. "I mean...the house is just a mess still. We have boxes everywhere and...it's just not pretty."_

" _Okay," Lydia said slowly. "Well, that's fine... just uh...let me know what she says."_

_Allison nodded. "Yeah sure thing." The bell rang suddenly. "Time for English." She smiled and walked off toward the classroom, the other three friends exchanging looks behind her back before following her toward their class._

_At lunch Allison sat her tray down next to Lydia. "So my aunt texted me back. She and my dad said that they would come get the car if you wanted to just take me back to your house."_

" _Yeah, that sounds great." Lydia smiled. "I really need some girl talk time."_

" _Oh thank God." Stiles sighed. "I love you to death, Lyd, but if I have to hear one more thing about-"_

" _Aaron!" Lydia said loudly with wide eyes. Stiles wrinkled his forehead in confusion and turned around to see the team captain behind him._

" _Hey, Lydia."_

" _Hey Aaron." Scott said. "Look, I'm really sorry about yesterday."_

_Aaron waved him off. "Dude, it's fine. It's lacrosse. If my mom thought that I would never get hurt playing a sport, then she was totally unprepared to raise a boy. Plus, it was probably my fault anyway."_

" _Yeah, totally." Stiles quickly agreed with him. "You're still going to play the game on Saturday. Right?"_

" _That's the plan." Aaron told him._

" _Good." Lydia smiled, flirtatiously. "I'm going to be there and I'm looking forward to watching you play."_

_Aaron mirrored her expression. "Well, I'm looking forward to seeing you watch me play." Stiles creased his forehead as he replayed the sentence in his head. Allison stifled a laugh. Lydia giggled. "Well, uh..." He began again after a moment. "I should go. I have to talk to Coach before class. See you guys."_

* * *

" _Allison!" Lydia called as she walked up to her friend's locker. "Are you ready to go?"_

" _Yep." Allison told her as she threw her bag over her shoulder. "Let's go."_

" _My car is the blue one over there." Lydia pointed._

" _Oh, I like that color."_

" _Thanks." She smiled._

" _So," Allison began when she climbed into the car. "What did you want to talk about?"_

" _Nothing." Lydia said as she started the car. "Everything. I feel like I don't know you and you're like one of the first girls I've met that I could see being a really good friend. I just want us to get to know each other and spend time together."_

_Allison bit her lip. "Okay..."_

_Lydia saw the expression out of the corner of her eye. "What was that about?"_

" _What?"_

" _That look. You looked...I don't know...worried."_

_Allison shrugged. "I don't know...it's just...I've never been good at making friends at my other schools. Once people get to know me, they don't want anything to do with me."_

" _That's terrible!" Lydia said in shock. "Why would anybody not want to be your friend?"_

" _If I tell you, then you may not want to be my friend either."_

" _That would never happen." Lydia said, but Allison only looked down. "But," She began again. "If you don't feel comfortable about telling me yet, then that's okay. When you're ready to tell me, I'll be ready to listen."_

_The brunette gave her a half smile. "Thanks for not pushing it."_

_Lydia nodded. "No problem."_

* * *

" _Stiles?" Kayce asked as she walked over to where Stiles was sitting on the couch next to Scott. "Can you help me?" She handed her older brother a piece of paper and Stiles saw it was a math worksheet._

" _Sure. Do you not understand it?" Kayce shook her head. "Alright, let's sit at the table." He told her and led her over to the kitchen table._

" _What is it?" Scott asked his siblings as they walked away._

" _Math." Stiles told him._

" _Kayce," Scott began, "Why don't you ever come to me with homework questions?" Kayce's eyes widened at Scott, then she turned to look at Stiles._

" _Um..." Kayce started, afraid to tell him the truth. "Well..." Luckily for Kayce the doorbell rang at that exact moment._

" _Saved by the bell." Scott told her jokingly and got up to answer it. Aubrey stood there and Scott felt his blood run cold. She quickly pushed past him and he began trying to explain himself. "Hey, Aubrey...look I didn't mean to hurt Aaron. It was an accident. He must have just landed funny and I-"_

" _Wait." Aubrey stopped him. "What? What are going on about?" Then her eyebrow raised. "And did you just call me_ Aubrey _?"_

_Scott looked around. "Uh...yes...Am I supposed to call you Mrs. Gardner now?"_

_Aubrey made a disgusted face. "Ugh, no. Never call me that. It's just you've always called me Aubie."_

_Scott looked down. "Well...I can say my 'R's now...so."_

_Stiles stifled his laughter from behind his brother, then quickly tried to continue his conversation with Kayce._

_Aubrey shook her head. "Okay, one, I kind of prefer Aubie from you kids. You guys calling me Aubrey to my face makes me feel old. Two, I don't care about Aaron getting hurt..Well I mean I_ care _, but I don't care how it happened. He's playing sports, it was bound to happen sometime. Three, where's your mom? She's the reason I'm here."_

" _Oh...well mom's upstairs in her room I think."_

" _Thanks." Aubrey ran up the stairs and Scott exchanged looks with Stiles who was having a really hard time keeping a straight face._

" _By the way," Stiles started, "The reason Kayce comes to me for help? It's because I'm smarter."_

_Kayce's eyes widened and she covered her brother's mouth. "Shh!"_

_Scott sighed and shook his head._

* * *

" _So, then what happened?" Allison asked Lydia._

_Lydia shrugged. "Nothing... yet. We've just texted a few times, but now that he knows I'm not taken, he seems more willing to move things forward."_

" _That's good!" Allison replied and looked down at her fingernails. Both of them were laying on Lydia's bed, on their stomachs. "So, he thought you and Stiles had been dating since middle school?"_

_Lydia nodded. "Yeah, I mean... I guess we spent a lot of time together-"_

" _You act like a couple." Allison said point blank._

" _Yeah...wait, what?"_

" _You act like a couple." She said each word slowly. "I mean, you guys are constantly touching each other whether you realize it or not. You flirt with each other, again...whether you realize it or not. And...I've seen you guys make out," She made a face. "It's pretty intense. You don't act like friends."_

" _But that's just how we've always acted around each other."_

" _I'm not saying it's a bad thing... I'm just saying that's the way it's perceived. Now, Aaron knows the truth and I know the truth so it doesn't really matter what anybody else thinks."_

_Lydia nodded slowly and looked over at Allison. "Oh my God!" She suddenly exclaimed._

" _What?" Allison looked surprised._

" _You totally like Stiles! I knew it!"_

" _What? No! Lydia, I told you...I mean... yeah he's hot, but I'm not looking for a boyfriend."_

" _But if you were looking for a boyfriend, you would want him to be it, right?"_

_Allison hesitated. "I..."_

" _I knew it!"_

_Allison sighed. "Lydi-"_

" _Come on, Allison! What's stopping you?"_

" _I just... I haven't had much luck with guys...like ever. All of my relationships end really badly, so I decided to take a break from dating. Just focus on me and my...family." Allison took a deep breath. "Plus, Stiles seems like a really nice guy and I wouldn't want to bring him into my craziness."_

" _Believe me, those boys have enough craziness happening right now."_

" _All the more reason for me to not pursue anything."_

" _No, all the more reason_ to _pursue it! He can handle crazy."_

" _Lydia, can we please not talk about this right now?"_

_Lydia sighed. "Sure."_

_Allison looked at the time. "We should really probably get going back to my house."_

" _Alright," Lydia said as she sat up on the bed. "Let's go."_

* * *

" _Hey, Scott?" Allison began as she walked up to his locker. "Can I talk to you?" Scott turned to look at her and seemed sort of confused._

" _Uh, sure." It was lunch time so they didn't really have anywhere to be, except the cafeteria._

" _Outside?" He immediately thought the worst. Her dad knew what Scott was, and Allison knew what her dad was, and this was how he was going to die._

" _What's wrong with inside?" He stuttered as he looked around._

_Allison blushed. "There are too many ears here and it's kind of...embarrassing."_

" _Um... okay." He said slowly. He closed his locker and followed Allison out the front doors. "So, what did you want to talk about?" Scott pressed when Allison was quiet for several moments._

" _Um...well...God...this is really embarrassing... but um...does Stiles like me?"_

_Scott's eyes widened. "Uh... what?" That was definitely not what he was expecting._

_Allison shook her head and quickly followed up with, "Not because I'm asking because I'm too afraid to ask him myself... it's just..." She sighed. "Okay, look...the thing is, is that I kind of told Lydia that I liked him," Then she quickly added "But I don't...well I do... but I don't want a relationship right now. And Lydia keeps mentioning double dates and I just...I don't want to hurt his feelings if Lydia is pushing this on him too and... I want him to know that it's not me." She took a deep breath and looked down. "Can you just...tell him I said that? Because I don't know Lydia that well, but she seems like one of those people, that as soon as she gets an idea she runs with it no matter what."_

_Scott nodded. "Yeah, I'll tell him."_

" _Thank you." They stood there awkwardly for a moment before Allison pointed toward the doors. "We should probably get to lunch."_

_Scott seemed to shake himself out of a daze. " Yeah."_

_Stiles turned his head toward the doors to the cafeteria, then took a look around._

_Lydia sighed. "They'll be here."_

" _But, Scott doesn't normally do this. What if Allison's dad has him or something."_

_She shook her head. "You need to stop imagining the worst." Lydia took a bite of her yogurt then looked back up. "Look, there they are now. You were worried for nothing."_

" _Sorry we're late." Allison apologized as she sat next to Lydia. "I had to ask Scott something."_

" _It's fine." Stiles said, acting as if he wasn't just freaking out then, the gave his brother a suspicious look. Scott only shrugged in response._

" _So, Allison," Lydia began. "Are you going to the boys' first lacrosse game?"_

_Allison sighed. "Yeah."_

_Stiles made a face, "Hey...if it's such a chore to come see us, then you can stay at home." He joked._

" _No!" Allison said quickly. "It's not that...it's just that my dad is talking about going too._

" _Oh?" Lydia asked, and she exchanged looks with the brothers._

" _Yeah, I'm..." She groaned. "My dad can be kind of embarrassing when it comes to sports. "_

" _This girl, Malia," Scott began. "Gets_ really _into the games. She almost got kicked out of a game last year."_

" _You know," Stiles said after a moment. "I still haven't seen her. You don't think she was the body they found, do you?"_

_Scott shook his head. "No, remember, I saw the girl's face. It wasn't Malia."_

" _Then I wonder if she had anything to do with it." Lydia piped up. Stiles and Scott both snapped their heads in surprise at her._

" _Seriously, Lyds?" Stiles asked._

" _What?" Lydia looked at her friends' reactions. Allison just looked confused. "Malia used to be one of my best friends," Lydia explained to the brunette. "Until her family's house burned down a few years back. She sort of became a different person after that." She turned to address the two brothers. "At this point, I wouldn't put anything past her."_

" _Oh, Scott." Stiles quickly changed the subject. "You talked to Coach today. Right?" Scott nodded. "What did he say?"_

_Scott shook his head. He'd have to play._

" _What'd you have to talk to him about?" Allison asked._

" _Uh.." Scott tried to come up with something. "My um...my knee...it um..it hurts so I asked Coach if I could sit out of practice."_

" _And he said 'no'?" Allison was appalled._

" _Well, not exactly." He tried to correct himself. "He said that if I didn't practice then I couldn't play in the game this weekend." Then, for his brother's benefit, he added, "And if I don't play in the game this weekend, he's taking me off of first line."_

" _Well, maybe you should just not play in the game." Stiles said absentmindedly. Lydia raised her eyebrows at him and Scott turned his head to look at his brother._

" _What?" Scott asked._

" _I uh..." Stiles stuttered. "I just mean, that if you play_ today, _then that's not going to help your_ knee _on Saturday. I mean...Coach will probably forgive you before next week and by then maybe you won't be_ in pain _."_

_Scott shook his head. "You didn't hear Coach when I was talking to him. I think if I miss the game, I won't have to worry about that killer running around Beacon Hills. Coach will kill me himself."_

" _Unless, Coach_ is _the killer." Lydia mumbled. The boys turned to look at her with wrinkled foreheads. Lydia looked up at them in confusion. "Did I say that out loud?" Before the boys had time to answer, she quickly changed the subject, "Oh! You know what we should do? We should all go out after the game! It'll be fun!"_

" _Yeah, that's sound great." Scott told her._

_Stiles nodded and the friends all looked to Allison._

" _Uh..." Allison began when she realized they were all staring at her. "Yeah, maybe."_

* * *

_Scott was coming out of his history class the next day when Stiles grabbed him and spun him around toward the hallway. The sheriff was standing there, talking to some of the school officials._

" _Can you hear what they're saying?" Stiles asked his brother._

_Scott attempted to focus his hearing and Stiles turned around to see Lydia coming up behind him. He put his finger to his lips so that she wouldn't say anything. Scott turned back to them._

" _There's a curfew. Because of the body."_

_Stiles rolled his eyes. "Unbelievable! He's out there looking for a rabid animal when the jerkoff who actually killed her is just hanging out doing whatever he wants."_

" _Well, we can't exactly just tell him the truth about Derek."_

" _Well, what if we found the other half of the body?" The brothers turned their heads to Lydia. "What?"_

" _Lydia, you're a genius!" Stiles said with excitement._

" _I know." She said with a hint of confusion. Stiles walked off suddenly and Lydia and Scott exchanged glances. "What did I just do?" She asked him in concern._

" _I think you may have awakened a beast."_

" _I should go after him." She said, then walked off in the direction Stiles had gone. Scott shook his head with a chuckle and began to slowly turn around, but there was a suddenly a hand on his shoulder that sped up that process._

" _Allison?" Scott asked in confusion. She looked upset._

" _Is this your idea of some sick joke?"_

_Scott's eyes widened. "What? What are you talking about?"_

" _Derek."_

_Scott's blood ran cold. "What did he do?"_

" _Oh, like you don't know."_

" _I don't! Honestly, Allison. I'd never met him before a couple of days ago. What did he tell you? Did he hurt you?"_

_She shook her head and sniffed. "He told me to give you a message. He wants you to remember the promise he made to you." The one that if he played in the game, Derek would kill him. "I don't want to see him again." She told him then walked away._

_Stiles was talking to Lydia down the hall when he looked up and saw Allison coming toward him._

" _Allison?" He questioned, cutting Lydia off. "Hey, are you okay?" No sooner had he gotten the words out, Allison had her arms around him and her head buried in his shoulder. It caught him by surprise, but he quickly responded by wrapping his arms around her. He could feel her tiny frame shaking with sobs and he gave Lydia a look that told her, he was completely confused by what was going on. He looked back up at the spot where Scott had been standing just a moment before, but he was gone._

* * *

_When Scott got home after work, Stiles and Lydia were doing homework in the kitchen._

" _Dude," Stiles addressed him. "Allison is pissed at you. And where did you go?"_

_Scott sighed and dropped his bag. "She's pissed because Derek basically accosted her this afternoon. So, I went to pay him a visit."_

" _By yourself?" Lydia asked._

_He nodded, the whispered. "Guys, I smelled blood."_

" _Oh my God!" Stiles exclaimed in excitement as he stood up. Lydia gave him a look and he cleared his throat. "I mean..." He said slowly as he sat back down and, more solemnly, repeated, "Oh my God! Whose blood?"_

 _Scott shrugged. "I don't know. I need your help. We'll figure it out, help dad nail Derek for murder then you can help figure out how to control my shifts because there's no way I'm_ not _playing in that game."_

" _Okay," Lydia began as she slowly stood up. "Well, if you guys are going to do this, then I'll just-"_

" _Lydia, I need you too." Scott said._

_Lydia sighed and plopped back down. "Yeah, okay."_

* * *

_Stiles pulled into a parking spot in front of the hospital. "Oh, hey." He said, the sight of the medical establishment jogging his memory. "Did you know that Mom had a doctor's appointment today?"_

" _What?" Scott asked turning to his brother._

" _Yeah," Lydia piped up. "We overheard your parents talking, but we couldn't hear much and they were being really secretive."_

" _Huh..." Scott mumbled._

" _I mean, where's a werewolf with super hearing when you need one? Am I right?" Stiles joked, but Scott was already opening the passenger's side door. Stiles turned around to exchange glances with Lydia before climbing out of the jeep._

_The plan was for Lydia and Stiles to distract the nurses at the front so that Scott could sneak past and down to the morgue. They had to make sure that the blood he smelled at Derek's house, belonged to the girl._

" _Hey, Louise." Stiles addressed one of the women at the desk._

" _Stiles? What are you doing here?"_

" _Uh," Stiles began as he saw Scott sneak around. "Is my mom here?"_

_Louise gave Stiles a curious look. "You know as well as I do that your mom is off on Thursdays."_

" _It's Thursday?!" He sighed. "Sorry, Lydia." Lydia widened her eyes at him._

" _Did you need something, sweetheart?" Louise directed her attention to Lydia._

_Lydia opened her mouth to say something, but Stiles spoke first. "She just really needed to talk to a woman about some...things."_

_Lydia shot daggers in Stiles's direction. "Actually," she began. "_ Sweetie _," She emphasized and touched his chest flirtatiously. Stiles's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "It's okay to tell Louise." Stiles widened his eyes back at her and felt his cheeks heat up. Lydia smiled smugly and turned back to the lady at the desk. "Stiles and I are thinking about taking things to the next level." She giggled. "But, he was actually really concerned about what to do...you know...for_ me _." Lydia batted her eyelashes._

_Stiles suddenly couldn't speak. His mouth was dry and apparently had just stopped producing saliva altogether._

_Louise smiled sympathetically. "Stiles, come with me." She stood up and went around the desk. He was opening and closing his mouth, but no sounds were coming out. When Louise put her hand on his back, Stiles couldn't stop his feet from moving. He gave one last look over his shoulder at Lydia, his face full of panic, before the door closed behind him._

" _Lydia?" Lydia held her breath as she heard his voice._

" _Aaron!" She said as she turned around. "What are you doing here?"_

" _My shoulder was killing me, so the doctor gave me a cortisone shot."_

" _You're getting another one before the game too, right?"_

" _Yeah, the doctor just told me not to make a habit out of it. Was that Stilinski that was just here?"_

" _Oh, yeah." Lydia paused. "Wait... how much of that did you hear?"_

_He shook his head and looked down at his feet. "I probably just walked in at a bad time."_

_Lydia sighed. "Well, you probably heard it correctly, but it was a joke. I swear."_

_Aaron waved his hand in front of him. "It's fine. You don't have to explain anything to me."_

" _But I want to!" Lydia said before she could think about it, then began to blush._

_Aaron smiled, then after a moment asked. "Hey, what are you doing after the game?"_

_Lydia was about to say 'nothing' when she remembered she'd made plans. Sighing, she told him "I made plans to hang out with Allison, Scott, and Stiles..." She saw a look cross his face, one that she interpreted as 'she keeps saying she's not dating him, but she's sure spending a lot of time with him'. "You should join us!" She offered before her brain had time to process the implications._

_He nodded. "Yeah, sure. Can Danny come?"_

" _Of course! The more the merrier!" She smiled brightly._

" _Lydia!" She heard from behind her and saw Scott. "Oh, hey Aaron. Are you okay?"_

_Aaron shrugged. "It still hurts a little, but it'll be fine. See you guys at school tomorrow."_

" _Bye." Lydia waved._

" _Where's Stiles?" Scott asked her._

_Lydia opened her mouth to tell him, when the door opened and Louise was saying, "And just remember. No means no. It doesn't matter if your little soldier's all ready for battle. If the troops are retreating, he'll just have to find another way to let out all of that...shall we say 'adrenaline.'"_

_Stiles nodded and turned toward the Scott and Lydia, who were trying unsuccessfully to hold back their laughter. She didn't understand how, but Stiles was pale and beet red at the same time._

" _Stil-" Lydia started, but Stiles put his hand up to stop her._

" _Don't."_

_Lydia bit her lip to stop the smile forming._

" _What was that about?" Scott asked completely confused._

_Stiles shook his head. "It doesn't matter. What'd you find out?"_

_He nodded. "It was the same."_

" _So, he did kill her." Lydia commented._

" _And buried her body in his yard." Stiles added. He motioned with his head to walk out the doors and the three of them made their way back to the car._

" _So what should we do with this information?" Lydia asked._

" _We should use it." Stiles said._

" _How?" Scott asked._

" _Is it too much to hope," Lydia began. "That you just want to call in an anonymous tip to the sheriff's department."_

_Stiles only glared at Lydia as he said, "We're going to need a shovel." Stiles opened his door and pushed the seat forward so that Lydia could climb in, then he got in. As he sat down, he was reminded of what was in his back pocket. In frustration, he reached in and pulled out an entire roll of condoms and groaned. "I don't know what to do with these."_

" _You mean Louise didn't tell you?" Lydia smirked._

_Stiles whipped his head around and threw the condoms at her. "I hate you so much for that."_

" _Oh, you love me." Lydia said through laughter._

" _No. It was the most..."_

" _Informative?" Lydia offered._

"Traumatizing _experience I've ever had to sit through. I know it didn't last that long but it felt like it just went on forever."_

* * *

_The next day after Scott got out of work, Stiles and Lydia were there to pick him up. They drove out to the woods and began the walk to Derek's house in the dark._

" _Ouch! Guys, stop walking so fast!" Lydia whined._

" _You were the one stupid enough to wear heels knowing we were going to be in the woods." Stiles laughed._

" _Wearing heels has nothing to do with it. I could run a marathon in heels."_

" _Both of you, shut up! We don't know where he is, and he could hear us coming if he's around."_

_As they neared the house, they noticed that he was leaving._

" _Come on, let's go!" Stiles said and jogged off with Scott right behind him. Lydia caught up with them just as Scott sniffed the air._

" _Something's different." He told them._

" _Different?" Lydia asked, out of breath._

" _Different how?" Stiles questioned._

_Scott shook his head. "I don't know... let's just get this over with."_

_Scott and Stiles began to pick and shovel their way into the ground, while Lydia stood back. "You guys do that, I'm just..." She was still trying to catch her breath. "I'm just gonna..." She didn't finish her sentence, she motioned around with her finger, to say she was going to stay where she was and be the lookout._

_She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she'd found a nearby stump and had sat herself down what felt like ages ago._

" _This is taking too long." Scott finally said._

" _Just keep going." Stiles was determined._

" _What if he comes back?"_

" _Well, that's what Lydia's for."_

_Lydia's ears perked up. "I'm the bait?!"_

" _No! You're the distraction. You play the damsel in distress, lost in the woods while we get the hell out of here."_

" _What?!" She yelled angrily._

" _And what if he still sees us and tries to chase after us?" Scott asked before Stiles had a chance to respond to Lydia's outburst._

" _I have a plan for that too."_

" _Which is?" Lydia asked as she crossed her arms and glared at him._

" _I run one way, Scott runs the other... whoever he catches first...too bad."_

_Scott shook his head. "I hate that plan."_

_Stiles stopped suddenly. "Wait! Stop!"_

_Lydia looked over at the boys who were now in a giant hole and leaning over to look at something._

" _Did you find something?" She asked as she stood up. They didn't answer her. "Guys! What'd you find?" As she neared the edge of the hole, both boys screamed and jumped out._

" _What the hell is that?!" Stiles yelled and Lydia ran forward and looked down to see what it was._

" _It's a wolf." Scott voiced her thought._

" _No, I can see that." Stiles was saying. "But I thought you said you smelled blood. Like human blood."_

_Scott shrugged. "I told you something was different." The boys began to try to cover their efforts and Lydia looked up, a purple flower catching her attention._

" _Hey, Stiles? What does that flower look like to you?" She asked._

_Stiles had already seen it and was walking toward it. "Wolfsbane." He confirmed her suspicions._

_He picked up the flower and there was a piece of rope attached to it. The rope made a spiral around the hole and once he'd pulled it all up, he heard Lydia gasp._

" _That's Laura Hale."_

" _Are you sure?" Scott asked._

_Lydia nodded and turned away from them. "Laura used to babysit me. It's how I got so close to Malia."_

" _Malia!" Scott said realization._

" _Now that we know the dead girl is her sister," Stiles began. "It makes you wonder where's she's been."_

" _What if she's hurt?" Scott asked._

" _Or," Stiles countered. "What if she's hiding out because she's the one who killed her."_

" _And Derek's covering for her." Lydia continued._

_Scott shook his head. "She wouldn't do that. She loves her sister."_

" _None of us really know her anymore." Lydia reasoned. "She changed after the fire. Who knows what she's capable of."_

_Before Scott could respond, Stiles pulled his phone out. "We need to call Dad and let him know we found the other half of the body."_


	4. A Surprise Guest

Lydia and Allison's entire class was sent to the library so they could give statements to the Sheriff's department. When a teacher as perfectly healthy as Mrs. Finch just drops dead in the middle of class, there tends to be cause for concern. The rest of her classes for the day were also being held in the library as a study hall. Scott, Stiles and Kira all had her for their next class, so the five of them were in the library together sitting on the stairs.

Allison was resting her head on Stiles's shoulder and he had his arm around her. Kira was sitting next to Lydia holding her hands and Scott was facing the four of them.

"Are you sure you didn't notice anything?"

Lydia groaned. "Scott, for the last time... I was in the bathroom puking my guts up when it happened!"

"I meant before that. Did she seem weird?"

"Scott," Allison spoke up when she saw the look on Lydia's face. "We told you everything we know."

"Lydia," Kira began. "You don't look well." Her cheeks were flushed and Kira noted that her hands felt clammy as well.

"I just want to go home." She said softly as she swallowed the tears that were springing to her eyes.

"You're still sick." Allison told her. "I told you that you shouldn't have come today."

"It was only supposed to be for an hour. And I'm not sick."

"If you're not sick, "Stiles started, "Then you're freaking yourself out over nothing."

"Shut up, Stiles!" She snapped. "You don't get to talk to me! Just because you apologized doesn't mean I forgive you and everything can go back to being normal? I _don't_ forgive you! I _won't_. Got it?!"

Stiles opened his mouth ready to spout off a retort, but Allison squeezed his leg, silently telling him to not respond. Instead, he quickly stood up, grabbed his bag and walked out of the library.

The group got quiet after that. The sheriff walked back into the room and Scott quickly got his attention.

"Hey, kids. What do you need?"He asked when he made his way over to the group.

Scott replied, "Lydia isn't feeling well. Can she leave or do you still need her?"

Allison spoke up as the sheriff looked at Lydia. "We didn't see anything. We weren't even in the room when it happened."

He nodded. "Okay, but I don't want you driving yourself." He told the banshee.

"I'll take her." Allison volunteered. The two girls grabbed their bags and walked out of the library.

The sheriff turned toward Scott. "Where's Stiles?"

Scott sighed and shrugged. "Lydia drama. He ran out a few minutes ago. Not sure where he was going."

* * *

"Can I just point out," Stiles began as he heard his brother's footsteps behind him, "That for as many times as it's been me starting it, that time it was not."

"No, you're right." Scott said as he sat down next to him. He'd found him in the locker room. "I think she was agitated with me, and it didn't have to be you... She would have snapped on the next person who said something."

Stiles rolled his eyes. "Well, it sure felt like her anger was directed at me." He said through clenched teeth and Scott saw his brother's hands gripping the bench they were sitting on.

"Why are you upset?" Scott asked.

"She just... infuriates me!" He yelled, already feeling the tension begin to release. "She acts like she's so perfect and hasn't done anything wrong. Like everything is my fault because I got mad at her in first place!" Scott couldn't stop himself from physically moving to the edge of his seat. It had been a year of not knowing what had happening between the former best friends, getting bits and pieces here and there. Was this where he finally learned? Stiles shook his head. "And then I wanted to say something back there so bad, but Allison stopped me. Like she gets a reprieve because she's sick. Well, newsflash! I was sick and still feel like crap today, but I was doing my best. Did I think that everything was going to go back to the way it was? No! I even told _you_ that the other day! But I'm trying to be nicer. Obviously, she doesn't deserve it though."

Scott sighed. So close, but nothing. "Feel better?" He asked.

Stiles shrugged and muttered under his breath, "Bitch."

"Stiles..." Scott warned.

"Well, she is, Scott. If you just knew what she did, then you'd agree."

"Then why don't you tell me?"

"I can't!" He yelled, his voice breaking. His eyes turned glassy as he continued, "I can't because it hurts too much to say it out loud." He sniffed. "And because we promised we would keep it between us, and unless she breaks that promise first, I'm not going to give anybody else another reason to make me out to be the bad guy."

Scott sighed. "Look," He said as he took a look at the time. "The bell is going to ring any second, but I want to get this out. I'm worried about you, Stiles. You've slowly become this guy that I barely recognize half the time. And to be honest it kind of scares the shit out of me." Stiles hung his head. "Since you and Lydia started this fight, the pack has been weaker as a whole, and if you guys aren't going to talk to each other about what you're feeling and clear the air, you need to talk to somebody instead of keeping it all bottled up." When Stiles raised his head again, Scott saw that his cheeks were wet with tears. Stiles quickly rubbed his hand over his face and wiped them away. "I've let this go on for a year, hoping that eventually you'd both come to your senses, but enough is enough."

The bell rang as soon as Scott finished his speech and Stiles didn't say anything. He just stood up and walked out of the locker room, leaving his brother to wonder if the speech had any effect whatsoever.

* * *

"You know," Allison began, after a few moments of driving in silence. "A lot of times it's Stiles who starts it, but this time, Sweetie, I've got to admit it was you."

"I know." She replied barely above a whisper. She sighed. "What are we going to do about my car?"

"Well, I could either come back with somebody else later to bring it to you, or I could pick you up tomorrow."

Lydia shrugged. "Do whatever you want to do."

"Are you okay?" Allison asked. Lydia's hand was covering her mouth and Allison could swear she saw beads of sweat forming at her temples.

Lydia shook her head quickly. "Stop the car. I'm going to be sick." Allison pulled over and Lydia was out of the car before it was put into park.

Allison got out of the car and walked over to hold her friend's hair back. "Lydia?"

As she neared the banshee, Lydia put her hand out. "Allison, please just back away."

"What did I do?"

"Nothing...there's just something on you that smells terrible and it's not helping matters."

Allison picked up her feet and looked at the bottom of her shoes. "Did I step in something?"

"No...that's not what I smell...it's like...rancid perfume."

Allison frowned. "I'm wearing the perfume you picked out for me at the mall last week."

Lydia froze, as if realizing something. "The _Waterlily_ one?" Allison nodded. Lydia felt her heartbeat quicken, before shaking the thought away. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Come on, we'll roll the windows down. Maybe that will make it better."

Lydia nodded and followed Allison back to the car.

The fresh air now filtering through the car made the ride a little more bearable.

When Allison pulled into Lydia's driveway she put the car in park so that Lydia could get out. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No!" Lydia said rather quickly. Allison looked visibly hurt and Lydia tried to backtrack. "It's just..your perfume. I'm sorry. I don't know what's wrong with me."

Allison nodded softly. "No, I get it. It's fine." Lydia could tell that Allison was upset. "And don't worry I won't wear it again." She said it with a bite, and Lydia wasn't sure what emotion felt stronger: the guilt, the anger, or the hurt. They were all overpowering though and Lydia felt tears welling up in her eyes. "Bye." Allison told her without looking at her. She said it so suddenly and with such coldness that Lydia jumped before nodding and reaching for the handle.

She got out and closed the door. The window was still rolled down and she leaned over to apologize once again. "Allison I-"

It didn't matter. Allison took off, and Lydia jumped back so that she didn't get hit. She felt a sob escape her chest before she made it inside the house. Why did she have such a knack of pushing away the people she loved? First it was her dad, then it was Stiles, and now Allison. She just needed Aiden to hurry up and come home. Of course, the bright side was that her fights with Allison didn't normally last too long... although she used to say that about Stiles as well.

* * *

Stiles stepped back into the school out of breath after running around the track.

"Feel better?" He heard his brother's voice from behind him.

Stiles shrugged. "A little."

"You nearly beat me you were running so fast. And you normally only run that fast when you're trying to blow off steam. Are you still pissed about Lydia?"

"Nope." He said as reached for a towel and began to wipe his face. "Completely over it."

"Uh huh..." Scott said, not believing him.

"Have you seen Isaac?" Stiles quickly changed the subject, and began to change his shirt.

"I think he had to get to work. Which is where I need to be getting."

Stiles nodded and grabbed his backpack. "Well, I think I'm just going to go home. See you later." He didn't give Scott time to answer, before he was walking away and out to his jeep. He was looking at his phone to see if he had any missed calls from Allison as he neared the vehicle. He didn't have anything from her. A couple of texts from Danny replying to a conversation about video games and a missed call from a number he didn't recognize. He figured it was a wrong number and if they really needed to get a hold of him they would have either left a message or would call back later. He climbed in and started the jeep, but it wasn't until he turned his head to back up that he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Holy shit!" He exclaimed as he clutched his chest. "Jesus, Lydia! What the hell are you doing?" Lydia sat in the back seat, eyes wide open, but not moving. It took Stiles a few moments to realize she wasn't just ignoring him. He groaned. "Not this again." He turned the jeep off and unbuckled, turning around completely in his seat. "Hey!" He snapped his fingers in front of her face. "Wake up! Come on!" He sighed and mumbled, "God, Lydia, I just want to go home. I don't have time to deal with your fugue-state ass today." He climbed into the backseat, not gracefully of course, and ended up falling onto the floor between the backseat and the driver's seat. There wasn't a whole lot of space there though, so he wasn't sure exactly how he got wedged in there. Stiles let out a frustrated yell. "Lydia, wake up so you can help me up!" His hands finally found purchase and he was able to push himself back up onto the seat. "You know," He was saying as he struggled to get up. "This faintly reminds me of the last time we were in the backseat of this car together. And the only reason I can mention it is because you have no idea what I'm saying at the moment." He sat up completely and Lydia was still staring straight ahead. "Alright, Lydia. Come on. Time to wake up. For real." He reached for her hand and their skin barely made contact when she screamed. His hands immediately went to his ears and Lydia was suddenly looking around.

"What...what happened? How did I get here?"

"I was going to ask you," Stiles began trying to catch his breath for the third time in the past 15 minutes. "But, my guess is that it had something to do with you sleep walking again."

Lydia put her hand on her head. "I was having a dream. We were in a car..."

"We who? Me and you?"

Lydia nodded. "And...we were going to crash. But... it was like we knew we wouldn't get hurt."

Stiles nodded. "Cool." He looked away, not sure what else he was supposed to say.

Lydia took a deep breath. "I'm sorry about earlier. Snapping at you like that..you didn't deserve it...well.. not that time at least."

Stiles nodded and gave a short laugh "Well...thank you... I think."

They were silent a few moments before Lydia blurted, "I got into a fight with Allison."

Stiles raised his eyebrows and looked over at the banshee. "Yeah?"

"Yeah...in retrospect, it was a sort of stupid thing to fight over."

"What happened?"

"Basically, I told her that her perfume made me sick. Turns out it was some expensive perfume I begged her to buy a couple of weeks ago."

"Well, I could see why she would be mad." Lydia nodded. They were silent for a long while, each staring straight ahead, neither knowing what to say. After several minutes, Stiles said, "Scott keeps asking me what happened."

"He asked me too." Silence again. "Do you want to tell him?"

"Yes and No. I mean, I want to tell him because he's my brother...I just don't want everybody else to find out."

"And by everybody else, you mean Allison?"

Stiles didn't answer her. Or, maybe he did by avoiding the question. "I just don't think it's anyone's business... Hell! It took you a year to even tell _me_." He said it almost jokingly, but Lydia could still hear the pain in his voice. They were quiet again before she replied.

"You know...We never _really_ talked about what happened. We just...fought."

Stiles scoffed. " What's there to talk about, Lyd?"

Lydia pursed her lips. "You're right."

Stiles immediately whipped his head around to look at her. "I am?"

"I shouldn't have kept it a secret. I'm sorry."

Stiles opened his mouth and closed it several times as he tried to form words. "You're... _sorry_?!" He finally yelled, making Lydia jump. "You wait a year to tell me any of this to begin with, basically telling me it was none of my business anyway and _now_ nearly another year later, you want to _apologize_ for keeping it from me? Do you know how angry that makes me?"

"Well based on the yelling, I think I can figure it out."

Stiles closed his eyes and took a deep breath, as angry tears burned in his eyes. It took several minutes for him to calm down enough to look back at Lydia. Her hands grasped the seat and he could see her shoulders rising and falling as silent tears streamed down her face. Before he could think too much about it, he reached his hand out and placed it on top of hers. He looked straight ahead, but he could see her out of the corner of his eye. She froze for a moment, then looked down at their hands, then she looked ahead just as he was. They sat for a few moments like that before Stiles finally broke the silence.

"Apparently, our fighting has made the pack weaker. And basically we need to get our shit together. Or...well I don't know what Scott will do...but I don't really want to find out. I told you the other day that seeing you with that piece of glass in your hand made me realize how I don't want to see anything happen to you. And I think we can both agree that our friendship will never be the same, and we've both said and done things we can't forgive the other for...at least not right now. But can we agree to be civil with each other from now on?"

Lydia shrugged. "Unless you do something stupid." Lydia bit back a smile and Stiles shook his head to stop himself from laughing as he let go of her hand.

"I'm assuming you didn't bring your keys with you, right?" Lydia shook her head. "Get up front and I'll take you home." They both climbed back to the front seat, and Stiles started the jeep. "So," Stiles began as he pulled out of the parking spot. "Your dream..."

Lydia gave him a curious look. "What dream?"

"The one you just told me about...with us in the car...and we were going to crash?"

Lydia shook her head slowly. "I...I don't remember."

"Do you remember telling me about it?"

Lydia could feel herself becoming frantic, and she tried calming herself down long enough to think about the question. "Um... sort of?" She took a shaky breath. "God, Stiles what's wrong with me?"

"Hey," He said softly as he reached his hand over to grab hers again. "Everything will be okay. Alright? You're just hyperaware of anything to do with memory. If you would never have drawn that kanji, these things wouldn't mean anything to you, would they?"

She took a deep breath. "I guess not."

"Exactly." Stiles phone chirped and he saw he had a text from Aubrey. "Ah, shit."

"What?" Lydia asked.

"I forgot that I was supposed to pick up Kayce from Aubrey's house. She just sent a text reminding me."

"If you want to pick her up first, I'm really not ready to go home."

"Really?"

"Yeah... I mean... I also told your sister I would hang out with her soon."

"True. Alright. " He shrugged and made a left toward Aubrey's.

* * *

"Deaton, I'm here!" Scott announced as he came through the front doors of the vet's office.

"In here." He heard from the examination room. As he walked in, he saw Deaton with a dog on the table. As many times as it had been one of the pack members getting checked out, they did still get actual pets on occasion. "Perfect timing." Deaton said as Scott walked through. Scott saw the large needle in Deaton's hand and knew immediately what he was needed for. He walked over and pet the dog slowly. As Deaton inserted the needle, the werewolf's veins turned black as he absorbed the pain. "Thanks." The vet said as "I heard about your teacher."

"How? I mean... I know news travels fast around here, but..."

"Your dad called to find out if there was a chance it was supernatural."

"And?"

"Well, like I told him. It's Beacon Hills, there's always a chance and that chance is pretty high. But, a perfectly healthy teacher drops dead in the middle of class. Something's definitely not quite right there."

"What do you think it is?"

"I don't know. I'm going to the morgue to perform my own autopsy and see if I can figure it out."

"When?"

"Right now." He said as took his gloves off. "I was just waiting for you to get here. Can you put Missy in a kennel until her owner gets back."

Scott nodded. "Yeah, and just don't forget to let me know what we're dealing with."

"Have I ever let you down before?"

"No, but I don't want you to make a habit of it starting now." He joked. Deaton smiled and shook his head.

"Don't worry."

* * *

"Okay, just wait right here." Stiles told Lydia as they pulled up in front of the Gardner residence. "I'll go get her."

Lydia nodded and he climbed out of the jeep. She was glad that they had agreed to be civil toward each other. It had become draining constantly being mad at him. But really...was she mad at him? Or was she mad at herself for ruining the greatest relationship she'd ever had? Not necessarily romantic relationship, (although the sex was pretty great), but their friendship had always been extremely important to her. Then she went and fucked it up- in SO many ways. Lydia had to admit, she wasn't the type to do stupid things- she was a genius after all- but when she did, she really did a number.

Suddenly there was a bang on her door and turn to see Kayce pressing her face to the window.

"Lydia!"

The banshee smiled and opened the door. Kayce stepped into the jeep and gave Lydia a hug, then climbed over her awkwardly to get to the backseat.

"Seriously?" Stiles asked his sister as walked back over to them. "You couldn't ask her politely to get out, or get in on my side? You just climb over her like an animal?"

Kayce shrugged and Lydia laughed. Stiles just shook his head.

"Scott said I got you sick too, Lydia." Kayce told her.

"Oh, it's fine. Nothing I haven't had before. Do you feel better?"

"Lots! You?"

"I'm okay." Lydia smiled.

They were already heading home when Kayce gasped. "Can we go get ice cream?!" Stiles sighed and looked at Lydia. Lydia shrugged. "Please please please please please !" She begged.

"Okay!" Stiles yelled quickly before she could ask again. "Okay." he said again calmer. "We can get ice cream."

"Yay!" the eight year-old cheered.

* * *

When Scott got home he was going to go straight to bed, when he heard music coming from Stiles's room. He couldn't remember the last time Stiles played music, especially not the song he was listening to. He hadn't heard that song since before the fight started.

He carefully made his way to Stiles's room, and saw that the door was cracked. He knocked once, and the door opened a little further so that he could peak his head inside.

Stiles was laying on his bed reading one of his school books. He glanced up and jumped slightly.

"Jesus!" He yelled, then reached over and turned the docking station off. "You should have given me some kind of warning or something."

Scott chuckled. "I just walked in. I even knocked."

"Well I was reading. I didn't hear you. Knock louder next time."

"Noted." He said as he walked inside the room. "How was your day?"

"Interesting. When I got out to the jeep Lydia was there."

"She was there? At the jeep?"

"Not exactly.. she was... _in_ the jeep."

"How'd she get in the jeep?"

Stiles shrugged. "No idea. Fugue state. When she woke up, she mentioned a dream she had, and a few minutes later, she had no recollection of even having a dream."

"That's kind of strange...right?"

"Yeah... kind of." Stiles took a deep breath. "You'll be happy to know we talked. "

"Really?"

"Yeah. We agreed to stop fighting."

"So you forgave each other?" He asked with a smile.

"That's not what I said." He told him with a shake of his head.

Scott's smile dropped. "Then nothing's fixed."

"I didn't say it was fixed. It's never going to be fixed. It's just...haphazardly patched up."

"It's putting a bandaid on a bullet hole. After a few minutes you won't even be able to see the bandaid because of all of the blood. A bullet wound can't heal without getting stitched up first. AKA: Forgiveness."

"Scott, I don't need a lecture-"

"Are you sure about that?"

Stiles stood up, his voice raising slightly. "Since when did you become my father?"

"I'm not your father, I'm your alpha!" Scott yelled back, a little louder.

Stiles scoffed, and raised his voice. "So, now you're _ordering_ me to forgive the girl who broke my heart and shattered it into a million pieces? The one who ripped it out and stomped on it and shoved it back in?"

Scott's eyes were wide and his mouth hung open, moving, but no sounds were coming out.

"Hey!" They heard a gruff voice come from the door way. It was the sheriff. "Are you two trying to wake up the whole neighborhood? Shut it! Because I _am_ your father."

"Yes sir." The boys mumbled. He closed the door with a bit of force, not loud enough to cause a scene, but enough to make a point.

The boys didn't make eye contact with each other for a moment.

"I...I didn't..." Scott tried to form a complete thought, but Stiles shook his head.

"No. You don't know anything about it. So, you should leave it alone, and just...leave my room." Scott nodded and turned to open the door, when Stiles continued, "By the way, we're picking her up tomorrow. Allison drove her home and then we think she walked back to the school, without her keys. So, her car is still at school and she needs a ride."

Scott nodded. "Look, Stiles...I'm-"

Stiles was already reading the book again and he cut the alpha off without looking up. "I thought I told you to leave."

Scott could smell the grief and anger coming off of his brother, so he nodded and walked away.

* * *

Lydia was awake. Part of her was still afraid to fall asleep because now it had been twice that she had just wandered off. She ended up debating the pros and cons of going to sleep versus staying awake until her alarm went off. Suddenly, she became extremely tired, but it was too late to go to sleep.

She begrudgingly got up and went to the bathroom to take a shower. The hot water helped to wake her up a bit. When she went to get dressed, she had a hard time finding something to wear. Her whole body felt achy and everything was too tight. She finally found a loose-fitting t-shirt and sweatpants, then threw her hair into a sloppy bun. She didn't have the energy to put make-up on either, and looking at herself in the mirror, it looked like she had just rolled out of bed, which wasn't what happened at all.

Her phone chimed and her breath nearly caught in her throat when she saw 'Stiles' pop up on the screen. When they first got into their fight, she spent months hoping that his name would be what she would see when her phone went off, and she was disappointed every time. She had eventually just assumed that it was never him, so to finally see his name again...it actually made her a little emotional. She quickly wiped her eyes. "I'm just tired." She mumbled to herself. The text just told her that they were in her driveway, so she grabbed her backpack and her purse- making sure her keys were in there since that was the reason they were picking her up anyway- then headed out of the door.

"Oh my God." Stiles mumbled to his brother when Lydia walked out of the house.

"What?" Scott asked and looked up.

"What is she wearing?" Scott turned to see the banshee in what looked like pajamas. "Seriously, the only thing that would make that outfit more complete would be a bathrobe and some slippers."

Scott opened the door and jumped out so that he could push his seat forward. "Hey...Lydia..." He said, with uncertainty. Lydia stopped and looked at the expressions on the boys' faces.

Her bottom lip began to quiver before she said, "I look really bad don't I?" Her face crumpled and she began to sob. The boys exchanged looks, not sure of what to do.

"No!" Scott said after a moment's hesitation. "You look...Stiles?" He asked as he turned to face his brother.

Stiles widened his eyes at Scott, before looking back to Lydia. "You just...uh..look different...that's all. We're not used to seeing you dress like that..."

"I just." Lydia tried, but couldn't stop sobbing. "I didn't... sleep... at all, and...and I...I'm so tired. And everything hurts...when you touch it."

"It's okay," Scott tried, and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Lydia yelled. "I just told you it hurts!"

Scott immediately put his hands up in defense. "I'm sorry."

"Uh... Lydia," Stiles tried. "Do you want to stay home today?"

Lydia shook her head. " No, because if I stay home then I'll go to sleep and who knows what will happen then." The boys nodded and Lydia just stared at Scott. "Well?!" She finally asked.

"Well what?" The alpha was confused.

"Aren't you going to help me into the Jeep?!"

"But, you just said not to tou-" Scott sighed and shook his head. "Nevermind." He held his hand out and Lydia grabbed onto it and hoisted herself into the jeep.

Scott and Stiles were still in their tiff from the night before, so the ride over was almost silent. When they pulled into the parking lot, Lydia was sound asleep in the backseat.

The brothers looked at each other. "What are you waiting for? Wake her up." Stiles told Scott.

"What? Me?"

"Yes, you. You're the _alpha_."

Scott groaned. "I'm sorry. Okay? That was stupid of me to say. But why do I have to wake her up? She already yelled at me once today."

"Yeah, well she's been yelling at me for the past year."

"Exactly! You're used to it!"

"I thought you wanted us to _stop_ fighting?"

"I do... I just..."

"It's okay." They heard a mumble from the backseat. "I'm awake."

The boys turned around at the same time to look at her.

"Did we wake you up?" Scott asked her.

Lydia shrugged. "I don't know. I woke up and heard you. I don't know if one had to do with the other though."

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked her.

Her lower lip puckered out. "I'm just tired and I look like a bag lady."

"You look fine!" Stiles said quickly to try to stop the tears before they turned into sobs again. "Besides, you've only got one class. You can leave as soon as it's over." Lydia nodded. Stiles bit his lip. "You know... I... think I have another shirt back there. If you wear it over your shirt now, maybe that will dress it up...slightly." The three of them got out of the jeep and Stiles went to the back to see if he could find the long-sleeved plaid shirt. When he did, he handed it over to Lydia, but cocked his head to the side as he finally got a closer look at what she was wearing.

"What?" Lydia asked with a slight panic as she took the shirt from him.

Stiles shook his head. "Nothing...It's just... I'm pretty sure that's my shirt."

Lydia's brow wrinkled in confusion. "Of course it is. You just gave it to me."

"No, not the one in your hand, the one you're wearing." Lydia looked down at the shirt she had on.

"It was in my dresser."

Then he lowered his eyes. "And I'm pretty sure those are my pants."

Both of their eyes widened when they realized. Lydia covered her face in embarrassment. "Oh my God. I'm wearing your sleep-over clothes."

"I never realized I didn't bring them home."

"It was the only thing that felt comfortable this morning." She told him.

"It's fine." He reassured her before she started crying again. "Just maybe...roll the sleeves... and the waist band, because the pants are dragging on the ground."

Lydia nodded. "Thank you."

Stiles smirked. "You're welcome. I'll see you inside."

Scott had already walked away, so Stiles walked alone into the school. Once inside, he immediately spotted Allison putting her books away. He smiled to himself and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and kissing her neck in one swift motion.

Allison jumped and spun around quickly. "Hey!" She said, but something sounded off.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Why would something be wrong?"

Stiles creased his brow. "Because you jumped and now you're being weird."

"Sorry, I'm just... my mind was somewhere else." She took a deep breath and wrapped her arms around his neck, then kissed him slowly. "Hi," She said with a smiled as she pulled away.

"Well, that was more like what I expecting."

Allison giggled. "So...I was thinking that tonight you could come to my place."

"Isn't your dad home?"

She shook her head sadly. "He pushed it back even further to Thursday. Because tomorrow is the full moon. Lydia reminded me yesterday."

"Speaking of Lydia... I should warn you-"

Allison looked over his shoulder at that point and raised an eyebrow.

"Why is Lydia wearing your clothes?"

"That's what I was trying to tell you...she didn't realize they were mine...well except for the plaid shirt. I gave her that this morning."

"This _morning_? What? When she woke up in your bed?"

"What?!" Stiles, wasn't sure if he thought it was funny or if he was angry. It was a mixture of both. "No! Scott and I picked her up, and the shirt was in the jeep. You should have seen her without the shirt."

"You saw her without a shirt on?!"

"No! Well...not today! And I meant without the plaid shirt. She's wearing my other shirt underneath it."

"What?!"

Lydia spotted Allison and she was about to walk over to her, when she felt someone grab her arm.

She jerked it away, and at the same time saw that it was Isaac.

"If you value your life, I wouldn't go over there at the moment."

"Why?" She asked as she looked back and forth from him to Stiles and Allison. Right as Isaac answered her, she realized that Allison didn't look happy and she and Stiles were definitely in an argument.

"They're fighting about you. Although it's a little different than the other fights they have about you."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, normally it's Stiles complaining about you and Allison sticking up for you. This time though, it's sort of just the other way around. Allison is accusing Stiles of cheating on her with you. He's trying to convince her he's not and that neither of you would do that to her."

"Well, he's right."

"And she's telling him that you've done it before."

"But they weren't together. We never would have done anything if they were still together."

"That's what he said too."

Lydia looked back at them and Stiles grabbed Allison's arm and led her around the corner.

"Where'd they go?" Lydia asked, turning back to Isaac.

He made a face. "Supply closet."

"You're kidding." She rolled her eyes.

"I wish I was." Lydia couldn't help but notice the tinge of jealousy and hurt in his voice. She almost felt bad. Then she noticed his ear perked up again. "Oh wait...they're still fighting."

"What are they saying?"

"He told her that she's acting strange, and- oh shit. I got to go."

"Wha- Isaac!" Lydia called out. All of a sudden, Stiles came back around the corner.

"Lahey!" Stiles yelled, catching the attention of other students in the hallway.

"Stiles!" Allison came around the corner frantic. "Don't!"

He was headed in the direction that Isaac had just gone, but Scott came out of nowhere and put a hand on his brother's chest. They were close enough to Lydia so that even though they weren't speaking loud, she could still hear them.

"Get your paw off of me." Stiles said through clenched teeth.

"Calm down." Scott demanded in his Alpha tone.

"Your beta kissed my girlfriend." Lydia's eyes widened and she looked over to Allison who looked extremely guilty. Scott looked over Stiles's shoulder to see Allison. It was at that moment that the bell rang.

"Go to class." Scott told Stiles. "I'll talk to him."

Lydia took a deep breath and walked off in the direction toward her class with Allison. "Hey," she said to her best friend as they walked into the classroom. "What was that about?"

Lydia didn't miss the sideways glance Allison gave her before saying, "Isaac kissed me last night, and I pushed him away. I told Stiles about it and you saw what happened next."

The banshee decided to take this as an opportunity to casually convince Allison that there was nothing going on between her and Stiles... Hell...they never even forgave each other! "That's kind of messed up... for him to kiss you when he knows you're with someone."

"Yeah...it is... isn't it?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lydia asked her. Allison turned to Lydia to respond, but stopped as the principal walked in to the room, with what could only be their new teacher.

"Class," the principal addressed them and Lydia turned to face forward, mouth dropping slightly. "I'd like to introduce you to your new teacher who is here to take Mrs. Finch's place."

Allison and Lydia didn't need an introduction. It was Peter Hale.


	5. Flashback 1.3

_The sun was beginning to rise when the sheriff got to the Hale residence, and the kids made up a story about how Lydia had buried something in the yard when she was younger and they were looking for it._

_They were 90% sure their dad didn't believe them, but he didn't push the issue. Derek had come home and surrendered himself willingly, and they kids had been sent home._

" _He gave up way too easy. Didn't he?" Stiles asked Scott suddenly. They had already dropped off Lydia at her house and they were on the way back to theirs._

" _So? What does it matter? He's locked up, and I can play in the game and not have to worry about him."_

" _Well, what if he went so willingly because he knows they won't be able to prove he killed her. I mean, at this point, the only thing he's possibly guilty of is moving the body and tampering with evidence."_

" _But, he did it, Stiles! You know it and I know it. There has to be some sort of evidence."_

" _I hope there is." Stiles told him._

* * *

_Lydia got to the lacrosse field several hours later and began to walk toward the bleachers when she heard a tiny voice yell her name._

" _Lydia!" She looked around and finally spotted Kayce with her parents, the six year-old waving frantically. Lydia smiled and waved back before walking over to the family. Kayce was sitting between her parents._

" _Is this seat taken?" Lydia asked Melissa, who didn't have anybody on the other side of her._

" _All yours!" She smiled. Lydia sat down, and Kayce immediately got up and squeezed herself between Melissa and Lydia. Kayce began rattling off about her day to Lydia, and the teenager politely listening and encouraged her. Aubrey showed up a few minutes later with her daughters, RaeLee and Nessa. The three of them sat on the bleacher behind them and Kayce got up again and sat next to Nessa, who was only 6 months older than her._

" _She can't sit still can she?" Lydia chuckled to Melissa._

_Melissa shook her head. "It must be the Stilinski in her, because she's exactly like Stiles." Lydia smiled and looked away. Her eyes landing on an attractive older gentleman. She was wondering who he was when he turned to a brunette._

" _Oh my God! That's Allison!" Lydia began to wave and call her best friend's name, then imagined she probably looked a lot like Kayce did several minutes before._

_Allison saw her and smiled, then headed toward them, the gentleman close behind her._

" _Hey, Lydia. This is my dad."_

" _So you're Lydia." He reached his hand out to shake hers. "Allison's told me a lot about you." Mr. Argent turned to Melissa. "And are you her mother?"_

_Melissa opened her mouth to explain, but Lydia beat her to it. "Oh, no! This is Scott and Stiles's mom, Melissa."_

" _Thank you, Lydia." Melissa said, then turned back to Allison's father. "Melissa Stilinski. And this is my husband-"_

" _He's the sheriff!" A bouncy voice interrupted her. Melissa turned around to her daughter that had just screamed in her ear._

" _And this is my daughter, Kayce."_

" _Hi!" the six year-old said brightly. "You're pretty!" She told Allison._

" _Awe, thank you! You're very pretty too! I love your dress."_

" _Thank you!"_

_Mr. Argent had begun to carry on a conversation with the Sheriff and sat down near him._

" _Sit by me!"Lydia said to Allison, as she patted the empty spot next to her on the bleacher. No sooner had Allison sat down, Kayce had climbed back down and squished herself between the two teenagers._

" _Kayce," Melissa began to scold. "You need to pick a spot and stay there." Kayce looked around, as if trying to decide "How about you come sit between me and daddy?"_

" _No!" she pouted. "I want to sit with Lydia and Allison."_

" _I can't see you over there," Melissa lied, knowing that the girls probably wanted to talk to each other without a six year-old between them. "Either come sit here, or sit with Aubie and Nessa."_

_Kayce huffed before getting up again and going back to her seat next to Nessa._

_Lydia mouthed a 'thank you' to Melissa, who smiled and nodded in reply._

" _She's adorable." Allison told Lydia._

" _Yeah, just FYI, she'll probably move spots a few more times before the end of the night."_

_Allison laughed and nodded ."Good to know."_

_Before long, the game had started. Scott, Stiles, and Aaron each pulled their own weight. Kayce moved at least three more times and finally ended up between her mom and Lydia once more. Towards the end of the match, the Sheriff's phone began to ring and Lydia was listening carefully to what he was telling the person on the other end._

_Scott had just gotten the ball, when his hearing picked up the sound of his dad's phone ringing. He got distracted momentarily, and didn't see the player coming from his left, knocking into him. As he fell to the ground the ball went flying out of the netting. He didn't see what happened, but he heard the home crowd begin to cheer and got up in time to see Stiles make the goal. Scott slammed his fist into the ground out of frustration. He was mad at himself for not paying attention, but when he realized that his brother had just made the winning shot, he smiled and pulled himself up off of the ground and ran forward to congratulate him._

_It was pure luck that Stiles was where he was when Scott lost the ball. They couldn't have planned it better if they tried. Stiles wasn't even sure the ball had actually hit the ground once it left Scott's possession, before he got it and continued running, shooting it and watching it whiz past the goalie. Before he had time to register that he had just scored the game-winning goal, he was being attacked by his fellow teammates, receiving hugs and pats on the back. Then he saw Scott._

" _Hey, are you okay?"_

" _Yeah..pissed as hell that I got distracted, but I'm glad it was you that won the game for us." Scott said, with a pat on his back._

" _Stiles!" They heard a small voice, and crowd seemed to part to let the little girl through. She jumped into her brother's arms and hugged him. "You did so good!"_

" _You both played very well." Melissa said as she walked up behind her. "I'm so proud of both of you." She patted Scott's shoulder "What happened out there?" She asked him._

_He shook his head. "I don't know. I didn't see him coming. I'm just glad Stiles was there."_

" _Hey, I'm always going to have your back." Stiles said, returning the pat his brother had just given him._

" _Let's go out and celebrate." Melissa suggested._

" _We were going to go out with the girls." Scott told her._

" _Yeah," Stiles said. "We've been planning it all week."_

_Melissa sighed, "Well I guess we'll go out tomorrow then."_

" _Hey, boys!" The Sheriff addressed as he walked up to his sons. "You were both fantastic!"_

" _They've got plans tonight." Melissa told her husband. "We'll do something tomorrow."_

_He nodded and Lydia appeared from behind them. "I need to talk to you guys later." She mumbled to the boys, before hugging them both._

" _Mr. Arg- I mean, Chris!" Stiles finally put his little sister down, so that he could shake the man's hand._

" _You were great." He said, then looked to Scott. "Both of you. You must be Scott."_

_Scott nodded and reluctantly extended his hand. "And you're Allison's dad."_

" _Chris." He corrected._

" _Hey," Stiles smiled as he saw Allison. "I saw you and Lydia out there cheering us on."_

" _Not that you guys needed any extra help from us." She smiled. "You were both really good. Well...I'm assuming, since you kept making goals and everyone said you were really good. I still really don't know much about lacrosse."_

" _Maybe I can teach you... sometime." As soon as he said it, he became slightly unsure of himself. He hadn't meant for it to come out flirty, but he was well aware there was_ something _there with Allison, but Scott had also told him that Allison was not the one pushing Lydia to put the two of them together._

_Allison cocked her head to the side as if trying to understand what Stiles meant by his statement before smiling and nodding. "Yeah...yeah that...that'd be fun." Now he was confused. Did Allison change her mind about not wanting a boyfriend, or did she know he didn't mean for it to come across the way it did?_

" _Okay..."He said, now unsure of how to proceed._

" _Okay." She said back, with equal insecurity._

" _Okay!" Lydia broke in, clearly sensing the awkward tension rising. "Ready to go?"_

" _Stiles and I have to change first, but if you want to meet us in the parking lot?"_

" _Sounds good." Lydia answered for Allison before grabbing her arm and leading her away from the crowd. Scott and Stiles began walking toward the locker rooms as it seemed their parents had left. Scott suddenly heard his name and turned around to see Lydia running up to them. "Hey, I told her I left something in the stands, but I wanted to tell you first... Right at the end of the game, your dad got phone call. I sort of eves-dropped on his conversation, but you should know... The medical examiner took a look at the body and determined cause of death to be an animal...and since Derek is a human, he couldn't have killed her, so they released him."_

" _Shit." Scott mumbled._

" _That means he could be out here looking for us, since we're the ones who got him brought in in the first place." Stiles was suddenly coming down off the high he was on after winning the game._

" _Just thought you should know." She shrugged. "See you in a few minutes."_

" _Did you find it?" Allison asked when Lydia walked back over to her._

" _Yep!" Lydia replied, pulling some lip gloss out of her purse. "Also, Aaron just texted me. He and Danny aren't going to come so it'll just be the four of us. So, I guess you and I can take my car and then Stiles and Scott can take the jeep." Allison nodded and bit her lip like she was thinking about saying something. "Yes?" Lydia asked slowly._

" _Okay..."Allison took a deep breath. "I think...I don't know."_

" _Okay, I'm going to need a little more information here."_

" _Well...I said I didn't know much about lacrosse and Stiles said he could teach me and I said okay."_

_Lydia wrinkled her forehead in confusion. "Okay?"_

" _Well...I don't know what that means."_

" _It's sounds like he's going to tell you about lacrosse."_

" _But, is that really what it sounds like? Because, the way it came across sounded like it meant...more."_

" _Well...did you want it to mean more? I mean.. you're the one who keeps saying you don't want a boyfriend."_

" _I never said I didn't_ want _a boyfriend-"_

" _I'm pretty sure you did."_

" _Whatever...if I said it, that's not what I meant."_

" _Then what did you mean?"_

" _I mean, that I don't_ need _a boyfriend...Or I guess more specifically, that a boy wouldn't want to be my boyfriend."_

" _Well, that's just crazy! There are plenty of guys that would kill to be your boyfriend!"_

" _Well, maybe before they get to know me. I'm... I'm damaged, Lydia."_

" _You can't be as damaged as some people I know."_

 _Allison scoffed. "I'm probably_ more _damaged than some of the people you know."_

" _Well, then you should tell me what makes you so damaged and I'll let you know."_

_Allison shook her head. "No...not...not yet."_

_Lydia sighed. "Look, I don't think there's anything you could tell me that would make me want to stop being your friend. Even if you told me you'd killed somebody. I'd be okay with it because I don't think you'd kill me, and that's all that matters." Lydia smiled and Allison laughed._

" _Well, I didn't kill anyone, so you don't have to worry about that."_

" _Well, that's good." They heard Stiles say. "I told Scott you didn't seem like the killer type." He joked._

" _Ready to go?" Scott asked._

_The girls nodded and head toward Lydia's car. "Actually," Stiles stopped them. "Is it okay if Allison rides with me and Scott goes with Lydia?"_

" _That's fine with me." Lydia said quickly and smiled._

_Allison's eyes widened for a moment before saying, "Yeah.. Yeah sure. I'll go with you."_

" _We'll meet you guys at Tate's." Scott said as he got into Lydia's car._

_Stiles and Allison climbed into the jeep, and Stiles just sat there, not starting it or anything._

" _Um...Stiles, are we going to go?" Allison asked._

" _Yeah in a minute, I just... I wanted to talk to you. It's just I'm... I'm confused."_

" _Sexually?" Allison deadpanned, bringing up the inside joke from the first time she met him._

_Stiles laughed and shook his head. "No... I just...I feel like there's a lot of mixed signals happening from both of us and I wanted to talk about it."_

" _Well, that's a very mature thing to do."_

_He shrugged. "I try." He sighed and began again, "I know you don't want a relationship right now, and that's fine. This whole time I've been saying that I just want to be friends right now and see what happens, but I was just talking to Scott and..." He took a deep breath. "Wow... so all of that courage I had just drained completely out of me." He laughed nervously. Allison reached her hand over and held his. His breath caught in his throat for a moment as he looked back up at her and she smiled. "I like you, Allison." He sighed, "And I know you don't want to start anything and that's okay, I just-"_

_She cut him off with a kiss. It took him a moment to register what was happening but when he did he kissed her back, cupping her face with his free hand. She let go of his hand and tangled hers in his hair. His newly freed hand went to her waist where her shirt had come up slightly and he was suddenly touching bare skin._

_Allison broke the kiss first and pulled away only slightly. Their faces were still only about an inch apart._

" _Wow." She breathed. "Yeah...definitely not gay." She smirked. Stiles chuckled and shook his head. "I like you too." She told him, "I just...I don't have the best luck when it comes to relationships."_

" _Then we don't have to have a relationship. I'm fine with the kissing." He joked._

_Allison chuckled, "So basically the same friendship you have with Lydia?"_

_Stiles hesitated. "Me and Lydia...that's... that's not what I want with you." Allison smiled. "What if we just dated. It doesn't have to be a relationship like boyfriend girlfriend... it's just dating...it's not official and we can see other people if we want...But our friendship comes first. If we decide it won't work out then we go back to being friends.. but... if we decide it's going somewhere then we can do that too."_

_Allison nodded slowly. "Okay. Dating. I can do that. Then you can decide if you really want to be with me once you get to know me."_

" _I was thinking more of the other way around, but sure." They sat there for a moment in an awkward silence. "So...Tate's?" He asked finally as he turned around in his seat and started the jeep._

" _Yes! Food. Starving." Allison looked up at him. "Uh, Stiles?"_

" _Yeah?" He asked as he pulled out of the parking spot he was in._

" _Just FYI, I think you're wearing more of my lip gloss than I am at the moment."_

" _Shit." He muttered as he tried to wipe his mouth with the back of his hand and Allison tried to stifle her laughter._

_When they walked into Tate's a few minutes later, Scott and Lydia made the whole thing feel awkward. They kept giving them looks and winking. Stiles and Allison did their best to ignore it, but once they left, being alone with them made it worse._

" _Spill it!" Lydia demanded once she and Allison were in the car alone._

" _Spill what?"_

" _What happened with you and Stiles?"_

" _Nothing." Allison shrugged._

_Lydia scoffed. "Oh please! As if I'd believe that! It was awkward as hell in there, so something happened... just tell me!"_

" _Nothing happened, Lydia." She said entirely too convincing. "It was only awkward because Scott kept making kissing faces, and you just kept smiling and blinking uncontrollably, not saying anything." Well...it was true._

" _I wasn't blinking uncontrollably."_

" _What do you call this?" Allison gave a few over-exaggerated winks._

" _I was winking not blinking...there's a difference...but if you say nothing happened, then...okay. I believe you." Something in her voice made it sound like she really didn't believe her._

" _You kissed her didn't you?" Scott pestered on their way home._

" _Shut up." Stiles groaned._

" _I knew it. You guys were so weird when you got there."_

_Stiles sighed. "Well, to be fair, she kissed me, to begin with."_

" _Really?"_

" _Yeah, I mean, I started my whole speech, and then I started rambling, so I guess she just wanted to shut me up."_

" _So? What'd you decide?"_

" _We're going to go on a date... I guess.. at some point. But just dating...until we decide we want it to be more. She's kind of afraid of relationships, and-"_

" _And you've never been in one." Scott interrupted. Stiles didn't say anything and he immediately second-guessed himself. "Unless you and Lydia..."_

" _No! God, Scott... for the last time. Lydia and I have never and will never be a thing."_

_Scott shrugged, "Never say never."_

" _We're talking about Allison."_

" _Yeah...so when's your first date?" Stiles opened his mouth to respond before realizing they never decided anything. "That's what I thought."_

" _We'll figure it out."_

* * *

" _Stiles?" He heard his dad's voice at his door. Stiles groaned and rolled over. "Can you come downstairs?" Stiles nodded and sat up as he tried to wake himself up. He shuffled down the stairs and saw his parents sitting on the couch. Kayce had clearly been up for a little while and was already dressed. Scott was sitting in a chair, with his head resting against his hand. His eyes were closed and Stiles assumed that he'd fallen asleep again._

" _Scott?" Melissa patted her son's leg, and Scott jumped._

" _I'm awake." He said as he widened his eyes to "prove a point."_

" _I'm sure you are." Melissa nodded. Stiles wanted to laugh at his brother, but something about the look on his parents' faces made him worried._

" _What's going on? Is everything okay?" He asked._

" _Just sit down." His father told him._

_This seemed to get Scott's attention. He straightened up in his chair. "You know...I can only think of two other times you sat us down like this. The first time was when you told us that you guys were going to get married, and the second time was when you told us that you were pregnant with Kayce." He wasn't meaning to, but his hearing had focused in on their heartbeats, just in time to hear them skip. "Wait...are you..." He began speaking to his mom, suddenly thinking back over the past couple of weeks and how strange Aubrey had been acting. "Are you pregnant?!"_

_Melissa blushed slightly and Stiles raised his hand for a high five. "Alright, Dad!" The sheriff glared at his son and Stiles slowly lowered his hand, and quietly high-fived himself with his other hand. Only Scott noticed and he stifled a laugh, then turned back to his parents._

" _You guys are still acting like this is really serious. What's going on?"_

_Melissa grabbed her husband's hand for support as she began. "It's just...I'm not as young as I was when I had you," She directed at Scott. "At my age, pregnancies become risky...for the mom and for the baby. Those risks are especially intensified when.."She paused and took a breath. "When multiples are involved."_

" _Multiples?" Stiles questioned. "Like...twins? You're having twins?"_

_Melissa forced a smile and nodded._

" _But, you'll be fine, Mom." Scott told her._

_Melissa's eyes began to water and she waved her hand in front of her. "I'm sorry." She sniffed. "I'm just emotional." Then she nodded, trying to reassure her boys. "You're right. I'll be fine. I'm getting worked up over nothing."_

" _So," Kayce finally spoke up after being quiet all that time. "You're going to have a baby?"_

_Melissa nodded. "That means you get to be the big sister. How does that sound?"_

_Kayce shrugged. "Okay. Can I go play now?"_

_Melissa chuckled. "Yeah, go ahead."_

_The boys didn't make a move, each of them contemplating Melissa's fears._

" _Everything will be fine, boys." Their dad reassured them as he put an arm around his wife. "It's just higher risk. That's all."_

_They nodded silently to themselves. "How far along are you?" Stiles finally asked._

" _Eleven weeks. To be honest, I tried ignoring the signs for awhile. It was Aubrey that made me finally take a test."_

" _Is that what you were doing the other day when she came over?" Scott asked remembering how quickly she'd stepped past him._

_Melissa nodded. "Probably."_

" _Alright," The sheriff said, clapping his hands together and breaking the awkward silence that had settled. "Who's hungry? We have a lot to celebrate! New babies, a big lacrosse win-"_

" _I made an A on my spelling test!" Kayce yelled from the other room._

"A _'s on spelling tests...come on!_ Happy _, people!"_

* * *

_Allison laid in her bed staring up at the ceiling. She could still feel Stiles's lips on hers from the night before. Now she understood why Lydia would just make out with him for the fun of it._

_Her phone began to ring and she quickly grabbed it, hoping it would be Stiles on the other end. Instead, it was Lydia._

" _Hey, Lydia." Allison answered._

" _Hey! Have you talked to Stiles today?"_

_Allison shook her head, then remembered she was talking on the phone and Lydia couldn't see her. "No. Not yet."_

_Lydia sighed. "I still can't believe you're not spilling any details."_

" _There are no details to spill." She lied. "Nothing happened." To be honest, as much as she loved the kiss, she felt horrible...like she had cheated on someone. Of course that was crazy, since she hadn't had a serious relationship in a long time. Although, she had made a promise to herself to stay away from guys at her new school for awhile... so maybe she just felt like she was cheating herself. But, Stiles was different than the other guys she'd known. And they had agreed not to jump into anything. It was going to be a date...a date they hadn't even planned yet. So, really...what was the harm?_

" _Oh..." Lydia almost sounded embarrassed._

" _Oh? Oh what?"_

" _It's just...Aaron said he saw you and Stiles together, and suggested we all hang out...like a double date."_

_Allison groaned. "Ugh! Lydia! How many times do I have to tell you that I don't want to go on any double dates?!"_

" _It wasn't my idea though!" Lydia defended herself. "It was Aaron! I swear! I just got off the phone with him, and he said he saw you guys in Stiles's jeep and that.."_

" _And what?" Allison urged her to finish._

" _And that you two looked rather cozy. I mean...I didn't know what to say because you told me nothing happened, but I couldn't call him a liar, so I went with it. And he's the one that suggested we all four hang out together. But it's fine... I'll just call him back and let him know that he was wrong and-"_

_Allison cut her off with a sigh. "Wait...Just...Let me talk to Stiles about it first. I'll let you know what he says."_

" _Really?!"_

" _Yeah," Then she added quickly, "It may have to wait until tomorrow though."_

" _Tomorrow? Why can't you call him today?"_

" _I feel more comfortable talking about it in person. Plus, I don't want to call him... I want him to call me...so unless he does..."_

_Allison could hear a hint of smile in Lydia's voice when she spoke again. "Oh? Why would it be a big deal over who called whom if nothing happened."_

_Allison shook her head, then quickly said, "I'll let you know tomorrow. Bye, Lydia." Allison hung up before her friend had the chance to respond._

_The next day, Lydia showed up to school to find the place crawling with cops and crime scene technicians._

" _What happened?" She asked the nearest person, who turned out to be Danny._

_He shrugged. "Not sure, They just found the bus. The doors were ripped open and there was blood everywhere. I think I heard somebody say that it looked like an animal attack."_

_Lydia's eyes widened. Scott wouldn't have...no...that would be crazy. Right? Lydia picked up her phone and called Stiles as she raced back to the front of the school._

" _Come on, Stiles...pick up... pick up."_

" _Hello?"_

" _Oh my God, Stiles-"_

" _What's up?"_

" _Are you at school yet?"_

" _Ha! Just kidding! You've got my voicemail. Leave a message at the beep." Beep._

_Lydia growled. "You're an ass, Stilinski!" She looked down at her phone to hang up with him, and ran into someone. She was happy to see a familiar brunette. "Allison!"_

" _Before you say anything...No... I haven't asked him yet."_

" _Asked who what?" Stiles asked, walking up to them._

" _Stiles! Where's Scott?" Lydia asked._

" _He's coming behind me. He's moving a little slow today. He had a dream that sort of freaked him out."_

" _What kind of dream?" Lydia wondered aloud._

_Stiles raised an eyebrow, "Why?"_

_Lydia sighed and pulled Stiles outside to show him the bus, "Was it anything like that?"_

_Stiles only stared wide-eyed. "Hey guys, what are you-" Scott came up behind them, and saw what they were looking at. Stiles turned to him, a sympathetic expression on his face. "Was there anybody in there?"_

_Lydia shrugged. "Not as far as I know. Why? Should there be?"_

" _You asked if his dream was anything like that," Stiles began. "The answer is yes. It was exactly like that. And Malia was with him."_

" _What are you guys talking about?" Allison asked as she approached her friends again. "You guys just ran off..." Her voice faded as she saw the bloody bus. "Oh my God! What happened?"_

_Stiles, Lydia, and Scott traded looks. "Um...no one knows anything yet." Lydia finally told her. Then she motioned her head to Stiles, silently telling her friend to talk to the boy about their possible double date._

_Allison sighed and rolled her eyes dramatically, before saying, "Hey, Stiles? Can I talk to you for a second?"_

_Stiles looked back at her, then turned to face his brother who gave him a wink. Stiles shook his head. "Yeah, sure."_

" _So," Allison began once they were mostly by themselves. "Lydia called me yesterday because, according to her, Aaron saw us together and now wants to go on a double date."_

" _Um..." Stiles started, clearly being caught off-guard. "Well, I...what about you?"_

_Allison shrugged. "I mean...it may take some of the pressure off."_

_Stiles nodded. "You know...If we go and we work out, Lydia's going to take all the credit...think it was all because of her."_

_Allison smiled and shrugged. "We'll let her think it was...for awhile at least."_

" _So.." He said, then asked hesitantly. "It's a date?"_

_Allison nodded, then quickly added. "As long as my dad's okay with it...yeah." She smiled. They sort of stared at each other for a moment, before the bell rang. "I guess that means we need to get to class."_

_When Scott and Stiles walked into their Chemistry class a couple of hours later, Scott was still worried about Malia._

" _What if I killed her?"_

" _Well, maybe you did the world a favor?" He shrugged._

" _What?!"_

" _I said 'maybe'." He said defensively._

" _But you're supposed to say 'Oh, Scott, you're my brother. Of course you didn't kill anyone."_

" _And I would...except you're not even sure of that...so if you don't know..how am I supposed to know?"Stiles looked back toward the door. "Scott, you didn't kill her."_

" _What makes you so confident all of a sudden?"_

" _Well, for starters...She just walked in the room."_

_Scott looked up and sighed in relief. "That's great! Maybe that means that there's nothing to worry about-"_

" _Hey look! They found something!"_

_Stiles and Scott exchanged looks before running to the window with the rest of the class._

* * *

" _Did you hear that they found some guy in the woods?" Allison asked as she sat down next to Lydia and across from the brothers._

" _Yeah," Stiles answered for everyone. "We had a perfect view from our chemistry classroom."_

" _Hey," Aaron said as he came up on the other side of Lydia. "Anyone sitting here?"_

" _Oh, uh...Nope. Not yet." Lydia was caught slightly off guard. Aaron smiled, and Danny sat down across from him and next to Scott._

" _So, did Lydia ask you guys about my idea?" Aaron directed to Stiles and Allison._

_The two exchanged looks and Lydia shot them a glare that said 'See? It really was his idea!'_

" _Um, yeah." Allison told him. "I just have to ask my dad for permission, but Stiles and I are up for it."_

" _Awesome! So, how long have you guys been dating?"_

_They exchanged glances again. "Oh uh.." Stiles struggled. "Not uh...not very long at all." Or really just at all...at least officially._

" _Well, that's cool. I'm kind of excited to be honest. What were you guys thinking about doing?"_

" _I was thinking about bowling." Lydia cut in, to attempt to save her friends. "We used to bowl all the time." She motioned to her and Stiles. "It's been a few months since we've gone though. What do you think?"_

_Stiles nodded. "Sounds good to me." Aaron and Allison agreed as well._

" _So," Danny spoke up for the first time since he sat down. "They're saying that that guy was attacked by a mountain lion."_

" _Does anybody know who he was?" Aaron asked the group._

_Stiles, who was skimming an article on his phone, spoke up, "It looks like his name is Garrison Meyers. He's a bus driver."_

_Lydia saw the look on Scott's face and decided to change the subject. "So, about tomorrow..."_

" _Tomorrow?" Allison questioned._

" _Yeah, bowling?"_

" _Oh, I thought we were talking about this weekend. I don't think tomorrow's going to work. My dad is...really strict when it comes to doing anything on a school night. Plus...there's the curfew...and my aunt is out of town until Friday and I-"_

" _Well, that's fine. We can do something another night." Stiles assured her._

" _Or," Lydia began again. "We could all just watch a movie at your house-"_

" _No!" Allison yelled, then turned red out of embarrassment. "It's just...like I said...my dad..."_

" _Another night then." Aaron agreed with Stiles._

_Lydia looked down. "Yeah, another night."_

_The table got quiet for a moment, until Allison looked up. "Hey, who's that girl?"_

_The entire table turned at the same time to look at the girl that had just walked into the cafeteria. It wasn't so noticeable though since the entire cafeteria had all turned their heads at the exact same time as well._

" _That's Malia Hale." Lydia told her._

" _Hale?" Allison asked, recognizing the name._

" _Her sister was the one they found in the woods." Stiles told her._

_Scott stared at her, and she finally turned to him a locked in his gaze. Her eyes seemed to tell him to follow, her and she walked outside._

" _I'll be back." Scott said and got up, ignoring calls from his friends._


	6. Flat Tires and Best Friends

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I turned my computer on today to post the next chapter and saw the chapter from last night just sitting there not having been submitted. Oops! 
> 
> Also, I just want to say that until like chapter 15 or 16, I wrote these prior to season 6 airing. Also, I've been writing this series for over a year and had outlines for this fic even before I finished IJAMOT. But as I'm re-reading these chapters there are lines and plot points that are similar to season 6 and it freaks me out just a tiny bit... that's all I'm saying.

He introduced himself as Mr. Pasternak, probably to avoid the inevitable stir that surrounded the last name 'Hale. 'Aside from a few knowing glances he gave the two girls, Peter was a surprisingly normal teacher. That didn't mean the girls wanted to stick around any longer than needed, and beat the entire class to the door once the bell rang. Allison rounded the corner with Lydia on her heels and ran right into Stiles, who was walking next to Scott.

"Whoa!" Stiles exclaimed as he caught her. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"It's Peter!"

"What?"

"Peter's the new teacher that took over for Mrs. Finch."

Before she had finished the sentence, Scott was already barreling toward the classroom. No one else was there when he got in. Peter looked up from his desk, and Scott flipped his claws out.

"Put those away, Scott." Peter said calmly.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm enriching young minds."

"Do you even know the first thing about biology?"

Peter shrugged. "I'm pretty good at human anatomy. I've done a few dissections in my day-" Scott was on him in a flash, his hand around Peter's throat. "Ahh, still too soon?" Scott kept his grip. Peter sighed. "Look, Scott. I swear to you, I'm a changed man. I'm just here to help."

"I don't need your help." Scott said through bared teeth, but loosened his grip slightly.

"No, you just don't want my help. There's something here. I know that you know that."

"You don't know anything." Scott sighed and pulled his hand away from Peter's neck. "Besides...there's always _some_ thing here. This is Beacon Hills after all."

Peter adjusted his shirt as the rest of the class began to filter in. "You may want to take a seat. The bell is going to ring soon."

Scott sensed his brother at his side and turned to him, seeing the fixed glare on his face. "Come on, Stiles." Scott told him. "Let's sit."

Stiles turned to him in surprise. "You mean we just have to deal with him teaching us?"

Scott looked back at Peter, then back to Stiles. "For now."

* * *

"So do we think he did it?" Lydia asked as she sat down at the lunch table. It was reminiscent of their earlier days as friends, since the only people there at the moment were Scott, Allison, and Stiles. Scott had suggested to Isaac that sitting with them was probably not the best idea, Kira (with the urging of Scott) decided to sit with the beta, and the sophomores didn't share the same lunch hour.

"Do we think who did what?" Scott asked, completely oblivious.

Stiles and Allison exchanged looks with each other. Lydia rested her head on her hand as she watched the exchange, her eyes beginning to droop, then Allison turned to Scott. "Peter and Mrs. Finch!" The brunette yelled slightly, then lowered her voice before adding. "Do we think he killed her?"

Scott shrugged. "I don't know. He says he didn't do it."

"And what? We believe him?" Stiles asked incredulously. "When has Peter Hale ever given us a reason to trust anything he says?"

Scott shook his head and shrugged. "He hasn't."

"So, he says he has nothing to do with a mysterious death and we're just going to take his word for it?"

Scott shook his head. "I didn't say that... it's just... I mean...he's not being ruled out as a suspect, but I just don't think we're going to find anything there."

"Look, Scott..." Stiles began again. "There's one thing you need to remember. No matter what Peter does to actually help us, he's always got his own agenda. Sometimes that agenda works in our favor, other times it doesn't. He's never on our side, and he'll never be on our side. Don't forget that."

Scott nodded, taking his brother's words to heart, and turned back to his food. "You're being quiet, Lydia." Scott said and looked up to see the strawberry blonde with her head on the table asleep.

"Why is she asleep? Is she okay?" Allison asked.

"She's still sleep walking." Stiles told her. "Yesterday she ended up in the backseat of my jeep after you brought her home. So apparently she was up all night."

They heard a sniffle come from the banshee. "Lydia?" Scott questioned.

"I can't." She mumbled and sobbed. "I can't."

"What can't you do?" He asked.

"Lydia?" Stiles said softly.

Lydia opened her eyes and slowly sat up taking in her surroundings. Then she brought her hand up to her cheek and looked at her fingers.

"Was I crying?" She asked quietly.

The three friends nodded. "Do you remember why?" Stiles asked.

She shook her head. "I was at the animal clinic. That's all I remember." She wiped her eyes. "It was probably just a nightmare. No biggie."

Allison looked at Stiles, and saw the concern written on his face. She bit her lip then slowly stood up. "I'm gonna...go to the library."

Stiles turned to his girlfriend and made a move to get up. "I'll go with you."

"No!" She said quickly. "I just...I want to be by myself for a bit."

She walked away before Stiles had a chance to respond. He looked down, his forehead crinkling in thought.

"Are you okay?" Lydia asked him.

"Yeah... Yeah I'm fine." He replied then took a deep breath. "So... Peter. What's the plan?"

Scott paused a moment, confused by his brother's sudden change in topic. "Well, I say we involve him as little as possible. Any help he tries to offer will be taken with a grain of salt."

"Stiles, are you sure you're okay?" Lydia asked him with concern.

Stiles stared back, a coldness in his eyes. "Are you?"

No. She wasn't. And he must have known that. He always knew. "I'm great." She lied.

He nodded, knowing it wasn't true. "Me too."

He was lying as well and she could tell.

They locked eyes for a moment, before Lydia looked away.

* * *

Stiles slammed his locker closed.

"Dare I ask what's wrong this time?" Scott asked his brother as he changed his shirt.

"My girlfriend kissed another guy and now she's ignoring me."

"I thought she said that Isaac kissed her, and she didn't kiss him back."

"Yeah... she did say that." Stiles sat down on the bench.

"And you don't believe her?"

"Look...I may not have super hearing and be able to listen to heartbeats, but you've got to admit, I'm pretty good at pin pointing the people who aren't being completely honest...and right now, Allison's giving me some less-than-trusting vibes."

"So...are you going to talk to her about it?"

"Nope. I'm going to give her a chance to come to me. If I say something to her, I look like a jealous boyfriend."

"But you _are_ the jealous boyfriend."

"Who says I'm jealous?"

Scott raised an eyebrow. "You mean you're not?"

"I know...kind of out of character for me, right?"

"So, either that means, you're confident that nothing is happening with Allison and Isaac...or...you don't care if something does."

Stiles didn't dignify the comment with a response. Instead he grabbed his bag and walked out the door. As he neared his jeep, he noticed Lydia's car still sitting there. Then he saw Lydia sitting down next to it. She had her knees pulled up to her chest and her head resting on them.

"Lydia?" He called to her. Her head popped up and she smiled when she saw him. He walked past the jeep and over to her. "What happened? Did you leave your keys?"

"No, I've got them." She held her keys up.

"Okay...so...then why are you just sitting there?" She held her hand out and he grabbed onto it to lift her up off of the ground. Once she was standing, she wiped her pants off then took a step to the side and motioned to her driver's side tire.

"It's flat."

"Maybe you ran over a nail and the air was just slowly leaking out over night."

Lydia shrugged. "Maybe. Your guess is as good as mine."

"Well, where's your spare? I'll fix it." He told her and began to roll his sleeves up. Then he caught her look. The one that said she was guilty. He sighed and put his sleeve back. "You never replaced it, did you?" Lydia shook her head. Stiles sighed. "That was like two years ago! God, Lyd...I told you like twenty times to replace it." The familiar nickname rolled off his tongue effortlessly. It took a moment for either of them to realize what he'd called her.

"I know! I just... I had a lot on my mind and I kept forgetting."

Stiles nodded slowly, putting the pieces together, but decided not to dwell on it. He shook his head. "Did you call a tow truck yet?"

Lydia nodded. "Yeah. They're on their way." She looked away from him and touched the hood of the car.

"Do you want me to wait with you?"

She turned back to him, a hopeful look on her face for a moment, before remembering they weren't friends again. "You don't have to." She told him, as she turned back around.

"Don't be stupid. I'm not leaving you alone. This is Beacon Hills. Who knows what kind of creature your tow truck driver could be. Besides, there's a killer out there, and we don't know anything about them. How do you know your tire isn't apart of some bigger plan?"

Lydia raised an eyebrow. "Was that supposed to comfort me?"

He shook his head as he thought about what he said. "I'm not sure. I think I lost my way about halfway through."

The two shared a look and laughed. They were quiet for a moment before Lydia spoke again. "Today felt like old times. And by _old times_ I mean freshman year old. When it was just me, you, and Scott."

Stiles smiled and nodded. "Before the werewolves and the kanimas."

"And the druids and the kitsunes."

"Werecoyotes...werejaguars."

"Banshees." Lydia looked down. Stiles was thinking about how to respond when Lydia's phone began to ring. " It's my mom." She told him as she looked at the screen, then answered the call. "Hey, Mom... What?" Lydia sighed. "Okay... yeah, I'll...I'll figure something out. Bye" She hung up and Stiles knew the look all too well.

"What's wrong?" He asked carefully, knowing that she was now on the verge of tears.

"My mom had a conference in San Francisco today. She was supposed to be home soon, but the roads have been closed all afternoon, because of some kind of accident. Her and one of her friends are even talking about getting a hotel for the night because they can't get back. And she's got the credit card." Lydia took a deep breath and slumped against the car. "Which means...if I can't pay for the tow or the tire, I can't get home."

Stiles looked down as he argued with himself over what to say. He was quiet for a few moments, before he saw Lydia trying to subtly wipe away a tear. "I'll take you home." He told her.

She looked up, then shook her head. "No, I don't want you to do that."

"Why not? I'm offering."

"But-"

"No buts. When the tow truck gets here, I'll take you home."

Lydia bit her lip again before suddenly throwing her arms around him in a tight hug. Stiles was frozen in place, the whole thing felt foreign. Then, just as Lydia was beginning to realize what she'd done and regret it, Stiles slowly moved his arms and wrapped them around her tiny frame. He felt her begin to sob against his chest, so he just let her cry.

"I'm sorry." She told him as she pulled away. "I don't know what's wrong with me. This past week has just been really draining."

"It's fine. I get it." He looked up over her head. "There's the tow truck."

* * *

"Deaton! I'm here." Scott called as he walked into the clinic.

Deaton poked his head out of the exam room. "Come in here."

Scott looked at him curiously, before putting his bag down behind the counter and following the doctor.

"What is it?" Scott asked as he walked into the exam room. Files and pictures were laid out on the table.

"I went to the morgue yesterday to see your teacher."

"What'd you find?"

"That's the thing. I didn't find anything."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, there's no markings, no sign of anything being wrong physically. It looks as though her heart just stopped."

"Well, then what does that mean?"

"I'm not sure yet."

* * *

"Stiles?" Lydia asked as she sat in the front seat of the jeep.

"Lydia?"

She gave a small smile. "Do you think...would it be okay if instead of taking me home, you took me to your house?" Stiles didn't say anything at first, and Lydia quickly added, "It's just, my mom won't be home tonight and I don't want to be by myself." She quickly realized how that could be taken and added, "You know...if I start sleepwalking."

"So, you want to stay the whole night?"

She shrugged, "I mean...if that's okay?"

"I'd have to ask my dad, but I think it'll be fine."

* * *

Allison had her History book open as she tapped on the pages with a pen. She was having trouble concentrating and she couldn't figure out why. The doorbell rang, and she immediately jumped off of her bed and ran downstairs. She swung the door open to reveal Isaac.

"What are you doing here?" She sort of snapped.

"I wanted to see you."

Allison shook her head and looked down as she took a step back so that he could walk inside. "I told you earlier...I can't do this."

He stepped inside and closed the door behind him. "Allison," He said her name and touched her arm.

She felt a jolt of electricity run through her body and shivered, but made no move to stop him. He let his hand slip off her arm and land on her waist, bringing his other hand up so that he was holding her in front of him. She lifted her eyes and made contact with his. He slowly began to lean in and she put her hand on his chest in an effort to push him back. He stopped, searching her eyes, mentally asking her what she really wanted. The hand on his chest slowly rose to his shoulder, and suddenly his lips were crashing into hers. Her arms were wrapping around his neck and her legs around his waist as he lifted her up.

* * *

"We're home!" Stiles heard his father call when the front door opened. He was laying on the couch watching a movie and heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet run past him. He sat up, looking toward the door, and saw Kayce dropping her bag.

"How was your day, Kayce?" Stiles asked her.

"Boys are mean."

"Are you getting picked on?" He asked with concern. She nodded and he turned to his father. "Dad!"

"I'm handling it." The sheriff replied.

"I hope that means you're going to arrest him."

The sheriff sighed. "I can't arrest an 8 year old for saying something mean about a fellow class mate."

"What did he say?" Stiles demanded.

"He said my backpack was stupid and for babies."

Stiles gasped. "How dare he! Anna and Elsa are the coolest sisters on the planet!" When he replayed what he said he chuckled quietly and added. "No pun intended." Kayce and their father were just staring at him. "You know..because Elsa's an Ice Queen, and froze Anna's heart and she was-"

"I got it." The sheriff cut him off.

Kayce shrugged. "I don't get it." Stiles sighed, and was about to explain before his dad cut him off again.

"So, where's Lydia?"

"In my room. She wanted to take a nap and I was guarding the door. You know...to make sure she didn't leave the house while she was asleep."

The Sheriff furrowed his brow. "If it's that serious then-"

"No...she'll be fine." He said quickly, not wanting his dad to worry. He already had enough to worry about, and Stiles still didn't know how to tell him that Peter Hale was his new teacher. Stilinski nodded, unconvinced.

"Kayce, can you go check on-"

"I'm going." She sighed, obviously sensing the father/son conversation coming on.

"Stiles."

"Dad." Stilinski opened his mouth to speak, but Stiles quickly cut him off. "If you're going to ask me what happened between me and Lydia, you're not getting an answer."

"But-"

"We just had a fight. A _really_ awful fight, and now we're trying to move past it."

The Sheriff sighed. "I'm just worried."

"About what?"

"You. I remember how badly you took it last time, and I just don't want to see that happen again."

"Don't worry. _That_ will _never_ happen again."

"You sound confident."

He smiled. "I am."

Stilinski nodded. "Okay then. Good talk. Go wake Lydia up and let her know I'm about to start making dinner."

Stiles nodded and went upstairs. He got to his room and the door was opened a crack. He pushed it slowly and saw Lydia asleep. Visions flooded his memory banks on the times he'd seen her just like this, sleeping peacefully in his bed. As he stared at her, for a moment, the past year hadn't happened.

"Lydia?" He said, and she didn't stir. He walked over to the bed and shook her shoulder softly. "Lyd?" She groaned and opened her eyes slowly. "Wake up, Sleepyhead. My dad's making dinner." Lydia smiled sleepily.

"I remember your dad's cooking."

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Because if you did, I wouldn't think you'd be smiling about it."

Lydia chuckled and sat up. "Do you remember the day my dad left? I came over and crashed here for the night?" Stiles nodded. "Your dad made chili. And I remember sitting around the table and imagining that just for a moment, that I was apart of a normal family. It's actually one of my happiest memories. Now every time I eat or even smell chili, it feels like home...and this is the only house I ever ate chili at."

Stiles looked down, wanting so badly to respond to her thoughts about this being her home, even after all the crap they had been through. Instead, what came out was, "Well...his chili is actually pretty good." He looked back at her, hurt evident in her face, but he could tell she was trying to mask it. He stood up and turned back to her. "Do you want to come downstairs? Maybe we can watch a movie with the munchkins."

Lydia nodded. "Sounds good. Just give me a minute."

Stiles nodded once and turned around to head out the door, but something stopped him in the doorway. He heard a sniffle and turned back to look at the strawberry blonde sitting on his bed. As he stared at her, he had the sudden realization that this was his best friend. Despite everything that they had been through, despite the stupid shit that they had both done, despite the fact he swore to himself he would never forgive her; no matter how many times he told her and everybody else that they weren't friends, she was _still_ his best friend. He turned back toward her and walked over to her. As he stood in front of her, she stopped abruptly, obviously not having realized until that point that he was still there. She looked up at him, tears filling her eyes. He held his hands out in front of him and, after some confusion, she put her hands in his. He pulled her up until she was standing and then wrapped her in the tightest hug she'd ever received from him. The tears she'd desperately been trying to hold in began to overflow as she squeezed him even tighter.

"I've missed you." He whispered in her ear. "So much."


	7. Flashback 1.4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unlike previous flashback chapters where I basically took one episode and made it my own, this chapter and the next flashback chapter combine both Magic Bullet and The Tell.

_When Scott got outside, Malia turned on him. "What the hell is your problem?!"_

_Scott jumped at her abrasiveness. "What?"_

" _Why did you get my brother arrested?"_

_'He...he killed your sister." Scott stammered. He'd never seen Malia so angry._

" _No! He didn't! He wasn't even in town!" Scott wrinkled his forehead in confusion and before he could ask, she continued, "The only reason he's here is because I called him._ After _I found Laura's body."_

" _You're the one who found her?" He asked carefully._

" _Yeah." She said it with hardly any emotion and Scott wasn't sure if he was more worried that it meant she was guilty, or if it meant she was just in denial._

_He nodded as he processed the new information. "Well, if he didn't kill her, then who did?"_

" _The alpha."_

" _The what now?"_

_Malia rolled her eyes. "The alpha. He's the leader of the pack."_

" _The_ _pack? You mean... you're a werewolf too?"_

_She shook her head. "Not exactly."_

_She didn't seem like she wanted to elaborate on that statement, so Scott nodded and asked, "And how do you know it was this alpha?"_

" _Because Laura was the alpha. And when a beta kills the alpha, they_ become _alpha."_

" _Wait, what?"_

_Malia shook her head. "It doesn't matter. The point is, Derek didn't kill Laura."_

" _Well, he still turned me."_

" _Oh my God!" She growled. "Why are you not getting this? Derek didn't bite you! An alpha is the only one who can turn someone. So, either you were turned by Laura right before she died, or the new alpha bit you. My bet is on the latter."_

_Scott nodded again, then worked up enough courage to ask, "You weren't here last night... Were you?"_

_Malia shook her head. "No. Why?"_

_He sighed. "Because...I had a dream... and you were there... and it was about what happened on that bus."_

_She shrugged, and with a calmer voice than before, said,"Well, it wasn't me."_

_Scott thought a moment before asking, "Do you...do you think I could hurt someone?"_

" _Yes." She said without hesitation. Scott flinched at her sudden and blunt response. "But if you're asking me if you're the one who hurt the bus driver...then I don't know."_

" _I just... I can't remember."_

_Malia sighed. "Then go back to the bus. Use your senses to see, feel and smell. You'll remember if you were there." Malia turned to walk away._

" _Wait, Malia-"_

_Malia turned back to Scott. "Go back to your friends, Scott." She said, then turned away once again._

* * *

" _Hey!" Lydia caught up with Stiles as soon as the last bell rang. "I'm sticking around to watch your practice, so I was wondering if when it was over you wanted to go get ice cream?"_

_Stiles nodded. "Yeah, sure. I've actually really been craving a banana split."_

" _Mmm." she sighed. "That sounds wonderful."_

_Stiles chuckled. "See you after practice."_

" _Bye!" He walked past her and she saw Allison at the end of the hall, and walked up to her. "Hey, I'm gonna stay for lacrosse practice. Did you want to join me?"_

" _Uhh..." Allison mumbled as she tried to put her books in her bag. "I can't today. I've a got a doctor's appointment."_

" _A doctor's appointment?" Lydia questioned. "What's wrong?"_

_Allison's eyes widened slightly, as if she'd realize she'd said too much. "Oh, it's not for-..a big deal. Just a check up."_

" _Okay..." Lydia said with some confusion._

" _I really need to go though. I'll see you tomorrow!"She said quickly and ran off. Lydia sighed. Allison was getting more and more mysterious. She just wished her friend would tell her what was going on. She was positive that whatever Allison's issues were, she wouldn't have a problem with it. One of her best friends was a werewolf for Christ's sake! If she could get past that, she could get past anything._

* * *

" _You were amazing out there." Lydia told Stiles as he walked out of the locker room, and she linked her arm through his._

" _Thanks." He chuckled. "So, Scott said that he might need us tonight."_

" _For what?"_

_Stiles shrugged. "Beats me."_

_When they got to the ice cream parlor, Stiles got a banana split and Lydia got a fudge brownie sundae._

" _So, tell me about Allison." She said as they sat down._

" _Well, she's got brown hair, brown eyes, really pretty-"_

" _Smart ass." Lydia rolled her eyes and Stiles grinned._

" _She's also a pretty great kisser, too." He added nonchalantly._

_Lydia gasped. "That whore!"_

" _Hey!" Stiles warned._

_She smiled sweetly. "And I mean that with as much love possible. She told me nothing happened!"_

" _Oops. Maybe I wasn't supposed to say anything?"_

_Lydia sighed. "Don't worry. I won't tell her you said anything. I didn't really believe her anyway. So, what are you guys?"_

" _Nothing. We're nothing. It was just a kiss. We'll see what happens."_

_Lydia sighed. "Has she told you anything?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _I mean, she's always being really secretive. And she won't tell me anything, so I was just curious if she told you."_

_Stiles shook his head and shrugged. "Nothing that sounded like it was worth keeping secret."_

_As if it was rehearsed, they each reached over and got a spoonful of the other's dessert at the same time._

_Lydia sighed and looked as if she was thinking about something. "Do you ever wonder what it's like to have sex?"_

_Stiles coughed and quickly reached for his water. "What?!" His voice rose several octaves when he finally spoke._

" _I mean... I think about it all the time."_

" _Lydia! Why are you telling me this?" He blushed._

" _I'm just making conversation."_

" _Well..can you make a new conversation...like one that's appropriate to talk about in public?"_

_Lydia sighed. "Fine." She stuck her spoon back into her ice cream and began to move it around the bowl. "It's just.. I wonder if I'll be any good."_

" _Oh my God." Stiles groaned as he pushed his bowl of ice cream away._

" _Sorry... I'll stop."_

_Stiles took a deep breath. "I think... that if you're with the right person, it'll be perfect."_

_Lydia smiled. "That's sweet." Stiles smiled proudly. "I also think it's a load of shit."_

" _Hey!"_

" _It's true! Look, either you're good or you're not good. What if Aaron decides he wants to have sex with with me and I don't know what to do, so I just lay there and then he spreads all theses awful rumors about me being bad in bed?!"_

" _Lydia!" Stiles spoke softly, but forcefully. "Lower your voice! People are staring."_

_Lydia gasped lightly. "Do you think Allison's a virgin?"_

_Stiles rubbed his eyes with his hand. "I haven't thought about that."_

" _What if she's like...super experienced and you're...well...not."_

" _I don't know...Can we talk about this later?"_

_She sighed and when she didn't immediately say anything, Stiles pulled his ice cream back toward him to continue eating._

_Lydia suddenly got a gleam in her eye, as if she had an idea, and quickly sat up and asked, "Do you want to have sex with me?"_

_Stiles's hand came down on the edge of his bowl, flipping it toward him-the contents of it landing in his lap._

" _Shit!" he yelled as he quickly stood up, then glared at Lydia._

_She put a hand to her mouth to stifle her laughter. "Sorry." They left shortly after that, and Lydia decided not to mention anything to do with sex for the rest of the day. "We should probably study for that History exam." She told him on the way back to his house._

" _Yeah, you're probably right."_

_They were quiet for awhile and Lydia was trying to think of something to talk about besides losing her virginity-which was really all she could think about at the moment. Finally, she said, "My parents have been fighting."_

" _What?" Stiles sounded concerned. "I'm sorry, Lyd."_

_She shrugged. "It's fine. I just hate being at home right now. It's like they just won't stop."_

" _Are they doing therapy again, like last time?"_

" _It's not working. I don't think they're going to be together for much longer. It feels like the end."_

" _Well, you've always got our house."_

_Lydia nodded. "Yeah, I know. Thanks."_

* * *

_A few hours later, Stiles was driving her back to the school. She'd left her car there so that they could just take one; and it worked out since Scott had gotten home and asked his brother to go back to the school with him. On the way there, Scott explained to the two of them about his conversation with Malia and what she had suggested. Lydia declined in staying- she really needed to get home before her mom went to bed._

_Lydia walked into her room and collapsed on her bed with a sigh. She was thinking about her conversation with Stiles earlier in the ice cream parlor. Maybe that wasn't the best time or place to bring up the topic of sex, but it's what had been plaguing her mind since she and Aaron had started talking to each other. What would happen the day things moved to that level? She knew that Aaron had a few serious girlfriends in the past. He slept with at least one of them (because she_ was _the type to kiss and tell-and she told everybody). And for all Lydia knew, he slept with the others too. Either way, he was experienced. But she liked Aaron, and it wasn't in a 'he'd be a great person to lose my virginity to' way. It was more so in a 'I want to be good for him when we finally do have sex' way. She groaned in frustration...and yeah..maybe that frustration was sexual. She needed a shower._

_Lydia got to school the next day and was at her locker when she saw Stiles walk in. She waved him over and he walked up to her. "So?" She asked. "Did he do it?"_

_Stiles shook his head. "He remembers somebody else being there. He thinks it may be this Alpha that Malia was mentioning."_

_Lydia sighed in relief. "Well at least it wasn't him."_

" _Hey, Lydia." She heard from behind her. She color rush to her cheeks as she turned around and saw Aaron._

" _Hi, Aaron!" He smiled and looked at Stiles and nodded a 'hello'. Stiles nodded back._

" _I've got to get my books. I'll see you later." Stiles said and walked away._

* * *

_Scott got home after work and was met by Stiles when he opened the door._

" _There's something you need to know." Stiles told him solemnly._

_Scott's brow wrinkled in confusion. "What is it?" He closed the front door and dropped his bag._

" _Dad got a call about 20 minutes ago and had to leave. The bus driver... he died." Scott sighed and collapsed against the wall. "You gonna be okay?"_

_Scott shrugged. "Maybe?"_

" _Is there anything I can do?" Stiles asked his brother._

_The beta shook his head and walked toward the stairs. "I just want to be alone right now."_

* * *

_Friday got there after what felt like forever. It was the end of the day and Stiles walked into the school hallway and saw Allison at her locker. As he neared her, he noticed her smiling down at card in her hand._

" _Hey!" He said. She looked up, like she'd been caught with her hand in a cookie jar, and hid the card quickly._

" _Hey!" She smiled._

_Stiles gave her a funny look. "What was that?" He asked, looking at the card she'd tried to hide._

" _Oh, this?" She asked lifting the card up. "It's uh..."She looked like she was trying to make something up, but she finally sighed, defeated. "It's a birthday card."_

" _It's your birthday?!" Allison nodded. "Why didn't you tell me?"_

" _I just... I don't like to make a big deal about it, because I'm..." Then quietly she said, "I'm seventeen."_

_Stiles's eyes widened in surprise. "Oh!" He seemed to think about it for a moment before replying, "Well, that makes sense."_

" _It does?" She asked, confused._

" _Yeah...I mean...you talked about moving around a lot. You're just behind because you change schools a lot, right?" Allison nodded, but it wasn't like she was agreeing with him, which seemed strange to Stiles. It was more like she was trying to process what he was saying. "Is that not the reason?" He asked her._

_She took a deep breath and looked around, before closing her locker door, and grabbing his hand. She led him around the corner and opened the first door they came to._

" _Uh...why are we in a supply closet?" Stiles asked._

_Allison felt around for a light and flicked it on. "Because I'm about to tell you something, and I don't want anybody to else to hear. And if you don't want to date me or be friends with me after I tell you...then that's fine. I get it."_

" _What is it?" He asked, concerned._

_She took a deep breath. "First of all, since I'm telling you this, you should know that my aunt is going to be back in town on Monday and we're having my birthday dinner that night. And you're invited."_

" _To your house?"_

_Allison nodded. "Yes. To my house. And I don't want you to give me an answer until Monday."_

" _But, I mean...of course I'll-"_

" _Not til Monday! I want you to have time to process what I'm about to tell you."_

" _You're really starting to scare me."_

_Allison bit her lip and took another deep breath. "I have a son."_

_Stiles's eyes widened. "What?" That was not even on a list of things he thought she was going to say at that moment._

" _His name is Dominic. Nic for short. He's two. I was fourteen when I got pregnant. His dad was a few years older than me, and just like every relationship after that, things got physical pretty fast. We don't talk anymore. I took a little time off of school after I had him, so that's why I'm older." She sniffed, and Stiles suddenly realized she'd been crying (or trying not to cry) through most of that speech. "So that's it. That's my big secret." She shrugged. "I'm a mom." Stiles didn't say anything, still trying to process what she had told him. "So, you'll give me that answer on Monday, yeah?" She nodded for him and ran out of the room. Stiles let out the breath he'd been holding in and ran a hand through his hair as he slid down the wall._

_The door opened and the janitor peaked his head in. "You okay, kid?"_

" _Five more minutes?" Stiles asked._

_The janitor looked at his watched a shrugged. "Sure." He said and closed the door._

* * *

_Scott knocked on Stiles's door the next morning. "Yeah." Stiles mumbled from his spot on the bed._

_Scott opened the door. "Hey, you okay?"_

" _I'm fine."_

" _Don't sound so convincing..look, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to talk to Derek and Malia, dad left for work a little bit ago, and Mom took Kayce to Aubrey's house. Some sort of 'girls day'." He used air quotes. "You gonna be fine here by yourself?"_

_Stiles nodded, as thunder rolled outside. Scott left and Stiles sighed. He hadn't told anybody about Allison's secret. It hadn't even been 24 hours yet and it was already starting to drive him a little crazy. He heard the rain hitting the roof of the house and he was beginning to drift off to sleep. Suddenly, he heard a knocking. It took him a moment to realize the knocking was coming from his window. He looked up and saw a rain-soaked Lydia outside. He quickly jumped up from the bed and opened his windows. She hadn't climbed in through his window in years._

" _Why didn't you use the door?" He semi-scolded her. It wasn't an easy feat getting to his second story window. It was actually somewhat dangerous-especially in the rain. It made the trellis more slippery. He finally got a good look at her and saw she was visibly upset. "Lydia?"_

" _He left." She sobbed. "He's gone." She hugged him and buried her face into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her._

* * *

_It had been about an hour since he'd let her inside. He'd lent her some of his dry clothes, and she'd climbed into bed next to him. They had turned on a movie and were quietly watching it when he blurted, "I have to tell you something." Lydia turned to look him, raising an eyebrow. "It's nothing bad...well...not really anyway...and I don't know if I'm allowed to say something or not, but I need to tell somebody and you're my best friend and I tell you everything." Lydia continued staring, waiting for him to tell her. "I found out Allison's secret."_

_Lydia sat up, intrigued. "Oh my God! What is it?"_

_He took a deep breath. "She has a kid."_

" _What?!" Stiles nodded. "Wow.. I mean...I guess that answers the question of whether or not she's a virgin."_

" _Lydia! Come on! I mean... what do I do? Dating her is like dating her kid too. I remember what it was like when my parents were dating." Lydia knew he was referring to his dad and Melissa. "They had to be so careful and I got attached to Mom so fast. I don't know what Dad would have done if they didn't work out. I probably would have asked to move in with Scott." He and Lydia chuckled. "I just don't know if I want that kind of responsibility."_

" _Well, it's not_ your _job to think about her kid. It's_ her _job. She should set the boundaries."_

_He nodded. "I still like her. She invited me to her birthday dinner on Monday. She told me to wait until Monday to give her an answer to whether or not I'll be going." Stiles groaned. "She also casually mentioned that Dominic's dad wasn't the only guy she'd slept with. That's her son's name...Dominic."_

" _Dominic...that's cute. Also..maybe I wasn't too far off when I called her a whore._ _" Stiles gave her a warning look. She rolled her eyes. "I'm obviously kidding." She took a deep breath before asking. "Where_ **is** _his dad?"_

" _Not in the picture."_

" _Just like mine." Stiles smiled sadly at her and put an arm around her as she snuggled up against him._

" _You'll be okay." He told her. "You're so strong." Lydia bit her lip as she tried to stop the tears._

" _I think I hate him."_

" _Don't hate him."_

" _Do you hate your mom?" Then clarified, "Your dad's first wife."_

_Stiles hesitated a moment. "No."_

" _Liar."_

" _Well, I don't_ want _to hate her. That's got to count for something...right? Plus...I mean... she's dead. There's no one to hate anymore."_

_Lydia shrugged, her mind falling back to their conversation a few days before. They were quiet again and Stiles had begun watching the movie once more._

" _Stiles?" She asked timidly._

" _Hmm?"_

" _Will you have sex with me?"_

_Lydia felt his body stiffen for a moment and then he chuckled lightly. "What, right now?"_

" _Why not?" she asked as she sat up._

_He looked at her, color draining from his face and quickly sat up too, "Wait, are you serious?"_

" _Of course!" Stiles didn't know what to say, so Lydia continued. "Look...I've been freaking out about my first time being with this guy that's experienced and wondering if I'll be good enough. And what about Allison?" She gave him a look and he sighed. "I mean.. I feel like we should just get our first times out of the way, and why not with each other? What's the point in waiting for the 'right person' to come along? Marriage isn't forever, love doesn't last forever. You know what's forever? Best friends! Best friends forever. Why can't your best friend be the right person? I want to feel comfortable and there's no one that I feel more comfortable with than you. And it's great, because neither of us knows what we're doing. We can figure it out together, just like we did with kissing. Remember how we were each other's first kiss? So let's do it! No one's home, it's perfect!"_

_Stiles didn't really need to be convinced much further. "Okay."_

" _Really?"_

" _Yeah...But look...if at any point either of us changes our mind, we stop. Got it?"_

" _Absolutely."_

_He nodded, then two of them just stared at each other. "How do you want to start this?" Stiles asked._

_Lydia bit her lip. "Do you want to make out?" Stiles smiled, and brushed a piece of hair out of her face. Lydia suddenly felt her heart begin to race with nervousness and excitement, at the thought of what was about to happen. She closed her eyes and met his lips with hers. Her head began to spin for a moment, before she realized he had just flipped her over, so that her back was now on the bed and he hovered over her. She put a hand on his chest and her eyes popped open as she pushed lightly._

_He opened his eyes quickly. "Are you okay? Do you want to stop?"_

_"No!" She told him. "I just... do you have any condoms?" He thought for a bit._

_"Actually..." He reached up and open the drawer of his side table, and pulled out a roll. "I guess that sex talk last week wasn't a_ complete _waste of time."_ _Lydia began to chuckle and Stiles laughed along with her. When he stopped laughing, he searched her face for a moment. "We're really going to do this?" He asked once more._

_Lydia smiled, her heart fluttered lightly. "I wouldn't want it to be anybody else."_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, most of the changes in the timeline came from me thinking "What would happen if this were different?" Allison having a baby was one of those "What-if" scenarios. In the line in "The Tell" where she says kids ask her "did you have a baby?" I always wondered, what if that really was the reason she was behind in school, so I decided to use it in this fic. I'm curious to see if anybody guessed the twist and when you realized it. Also, did anybody catch the Nic reference in the first present day chapter and wonder who that was? And last, but not least in that same chapter, when Lydia and Allison are going to class, Allison starts talking about how her dad isn't home and yet and missing "him." The "him" she was referring to, was Nic, not her dad. If you go back and re-read that chapter, you'll see it in a whole new light.


	8. Fear and Loathing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, shortly after I began posting this story on Fanfiction.net, a girl on there (Sarahk2011) PM'd me with an idea that at that point hadn't occurred to me, but I liked it so much that decided to use it. The scene wasn't exactly what she had suggested, but it was where my brain went with the idea. (To avoid spoilers, I've listed the scene at the second author's note at the bottom.)
> 
> That being said, if anybody else has ideas for this story or ideas for another story that you would like to see written, please let me know! I can't guarantee I'll use it, but if I like the idea and end up using it in some capacity, I'll definitely give you credit for it. Also, I would love a challenge, so if you want to see something written even if it's not Stydia, let me know!

Lydia didn't want to let go of him, and truthfully he didn't want to let go of her either.

"Stiles, I-" His father was at his door. Lydia pulled away from Stiles abruptly and he suddenly missed the contact. She wiped her eyes, trying to be discreet, but the action didn't go unnoticed by the sheriff. "Uh.. Sorry. I was just...I'm making spaghetti and I couldn't remember if you liked mushrooms or not, Lydia."

She smiled. "Mushrooms are great."

"Good." He said. He would get to make his sauce the way he always did. "Good." He repeated, eyes on the two teens. He liked them together more than apart. Honestly, he'd missed Lydia being a permanent fixture in his house. "I'm just gonna..." He pointed toward the stairs and began to walk away before stopping and turning back to them. "It's nice to have you here again, Lydia."

Lydia smiled. "It's good to be back." Stilinski walked away and the banshee turned back to Stiles. "So...we're..."

"Best friends." He told her. "Best friends are forever. Right?"

"I was beginning to doubt it...but I guess they are." She raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said the other day that we weren't going to be best friends again anytime soon."

Stiles shrugged. "Things change." Then he gave her a funny look. "I thought you hated mushrooms."

Lydia shrugged. "Things change. Plus, I know that your dad likes putting mushrooms in his sauce, and I can always eat around them if I need to." Lydia took a deep breath. "I don't want to bring up bad memories but-"

"Then don't."

"But shouldn't we talk about-"

"Look, Lydia. I'm okay now. And I'm sorry for the things that I said and did when I was angry. Let's just forget it. Okay?"

Lydia let out the breath she was holding and smiled. "Okay."

"Stiles!" His door swung open again and it was Scott. "Whoa...Lydia?"

"Hi, Scott." She smiled.

"Okay...well...this is new...well...old...but new.' He rambled. "Sorry...um...Kira's coming over for dinner."

Stiles nodded. "Lydia's staying the night."

"The whole night?"

"My mom's out of town. I don't want to be alone... And I don't have a car." She groaned when she remembered.

"Hey, we'll figure it out." Stiles told her and rubbed her arm.

Scott's eyes widened for a moment, but the other two didn't see him. "Hey, Stiles. Can I talk to you? Privately?"

Stiles opened his mouth to protest, but Lydia spoke first. "Yeah, I'll just go downstairs and start that movie we talked about."

Scott waited until he heard Lydia downstairs, then turned to his brother. "What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what happened to 'we're not friends, we're just civil.' Last time I checked, people who were just civil to one another, didn't offer their house to stay in, and comfort each other by rubbing their arm like this." Scott demonstrated the arm rub on his brother. "Plus, you look a lot cozier than two people who are just being civil."

"Just forget about it. We forgave each other and now we're friends again.'

"Just like that?"

"Just like that."

"I don't buy it. You don't go for that long being upset with each other to being friends again all of a sudden. It just doesn't happen."

"Well, believe it. Look... I just realized how much I missed her. And I can still get mad at her, but she's my best friend and I need her. It's been hell without her. You know it has. You were telling me the other day."

Scott nodded. "Well, then I'm happy for you. But just a reminder...you're still with Allison."

"And Lydia's with Aiden. And you're with Kira. What does that have to do with anything?"

"I'm just saying that you guys looked like a little more than friends when I walked in."

"Nothing was happening."

"I'm not saying it was. I'm just saying you two have a lot of history. Just don't forget that's what it is...history."

Stiles shook his head. "Unbelievable. You get mad because we're fighting and it's making the pack weak, so you tell us to make up. And now...what? You're mad that we're friends again?"

"I said make _up_. Not make _out_."

Stiles opened his mouth to say something, but seemed to think better of it, so he closed it and took a deep breath. "How about you let _me_ worry about how I act around _my_ friends. It doesn't concern you."

"It does when your actions affect half of my pack!"

"What actions?!" Stiles's voice raised an octave (and a few decibels).

"You and Lydia-"

Stiles cut him off with a humorless laugh. "Seriously? You need to stop. You don't know what you're talking about."

"Maybe because you won't tell me anything! All I know is that you and Lydia slept together and then everything fell to shit."

"Wait...do you think I cheated on Allison?" Scott's silence spoke volumes. "Oh my God! Okay... so you want me to tell you something? Well, here it goes. Lydia and I had a.." He paused as he searched for the right word "Fling.. _while Allison and I were broken up almost two years ago._ It only became a big deal because Allison found out last summer. _"_ Scott was definitely not expecting that.

"But Allison-"

"Is cheating on me with Isaac." He finished.

"What?" He heard from his doorway. It was Lydia and he'd wondered how long she'd been standing there.

"So," Stiles continued, as he looked back at Scott. "At least I had the common decency to wait until I was no longer together with someone before jumping into bed with someone else. If you want to talk about someone's actions affecting the pack, talk to your betas." With that, Stiles pushed past Scott and Lydia moved out of the doorway so he could come through. "I need to get some air." He mumbled to Lydia.

He went downstairs and opened the front door. Kira stood there, about to knock.

"Oh! Hey, Stiles." She told him as he went past her, Lydia right on his heels. "Lydia." She acknowledged the banshee. Neither one of them acknowledged the kitsune. "Great talk." She mumbled to herself as the door closed behind her. She looked up and saw Scott coming down the stairs. "What are they fighting about now?"

"Actually... they're not."

"What?"

"They made up, and I'm a terrible person."

Kira smiled sympathetically. "You're not terrible." She told him as she wrapped her arms around his neck then gave him a peck on his lips.

"Thanks...but I kind of am... I basically accused him of cheating on Allison with Lydia."

"But Stiles wouldn't do that."

"I know...Like I said... terrible."

Stiles sat down on the front steps and took a deep breath.

"Allison's cheating on you?" Lydia asked quietly from behind him. He didn't reply right away and she took that time to sit down next to him.

"Yeah." He told her. "I mean... I don't have much proof. It's really just a feeling...but...It's one of those feelings where I know I'm right."

"Are you going to talk to her about it?"

He shook his head and shrugged. "I don't know." He sighed. "I mean...what if I _am_ wrong? Or what if we break up and she doesn't let me see Nic anymore? I mean...I love that little boy." Then he chuckled. "I mean, I love kids in general, but-"Lydia looked down and Stiles groaned. "I wasn't-"

"I know." She told him, smiling reassuringly. "Look, you love Nic, but do you still love Allison?"

"Of course I do." He told her.

"But?" She asked sensing the word coming.

He sighed. "But I don't know if it's in the way you're talking about. Recently, it's sort of felt like we've just been going through the motions."

"I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It's not your fault."

Lydia thought thought about that statement for a moment. "But isn't it?" Stiles didn't say anything and Lydia changed the subject slightly. "Has it really been almost two years? I thought you guys broke up in the middle of junior year."

"No," Stiles gave her a funny look. "We got _back together_ in the middle of junior year. We broke up the summer before. Maybe you were just thinking that because it was in the middle of _your_ junior year. Remember, you were taking that AP College course that summer."

"That's right!" She said, as she recalled the memory, then she bumped her arm against Stiles. "You helped me study."

He laughed. "I don't know if that could be called _helping_."

"Hey guys," Scott said sheepishly from the door. "Dad said dinner is ready. And I...I wanted to apologize. For jumping to conclusions."

"It's fine." Stiles told him with a wave of his hand. "It's forgotten." He stood up and grabbed Lydia's hand to help her up.

"I'm starving." Lydia told them as she walked past Scott. "Mmm...This smells amazing!"

Her voice was distant to Stiles who was staring at Scott outside the front door. Scott was looking at him like he was in trouble. Stiles smiled and clapped his brother on the back. "We're good. Don't worry about it."

* * *

When Lydia awoke the next morning, she had forgotten where she was for a moment. She let her surroundings sink in and realized she was in Stiles's bedroom, but it wasn't until she went to move her hand, that she realized that Stiles was holding her. She was laying on her left side, her right hand on her stomach, his fingers linked with hers. She distinctly remembered falling asleep on her back while his back was turned to her, and it made her wonder what exactly had happened in the middle of the night that put them in this position. He was holding her tightly against him and she really didn't want to move. Suddenly, she realized that her hand that was draped over her stomach, was touching bare skin. She looked down at the floor and saw the shirt she was wearing when she went to bed on the ground- and she didn't wear a bra yesterday at all. She jerked out of Stiles's grip so fast that he woke up.

"Lydia?" He groaned sleepily as he looked over and saw her putting her shirt back on.

"Why was I not wearing a shirt?" She demanded to know.

"What?" He asked. It was still too early to process words.

She crossed her arms. "Why was I not wearing a shirt?" She repeated slowly. "And why were you spooning me?"

"Slow down." He told her calmly as he sat up and rubbed his eyes, trying to remember. "You took your shirt off last night. I don't know why...you were mumbling something about boobs." She looked down, feeling slightly silly for freaking out. "As for the spooning...I have no idea. Sorry."

"Are you apologizing for not knowing or apologizing for doing it?"

"I don't know..." he said slowly. "Which answer is the right one?" She smiled softly and shrugged as she sat back down on the bed. Stiles let out a deep breath he didn't realize he'd been holding in. "We should probably get ready for school."

"Hmm..." She said as if she was thinking. "Nope, that's not the right answer."

Stiles laughed. "Come on." He said as he pushed her lightly to get up.

"Wait." She told him. "Do you think it was a smart idea for us to sleep in the same bed?"

He shrugged ."Why would that be a big deal? You and I used to share a bed all the time when you came over."

"But yesterday morning, Allison was accusing you of cheating on her with me."

"How did you know that?" Stiles asked her, a confused look on his face.

Lydia bit her lip and shrugged. "Isaac gave me a play-by-play."

Stiles shook his head. "Look, leave Allison to me. You and I sleeping in the same bed, is a lot more innocent than what she and Isaac have been doing."

"So you say...I mean you just found out yesterday about-" She didn't finish her sentence, because Stiles looked down. "Wait...has this been going on longer?"

"Don't worry about it." He told her quickly and got off the bed. "Come on. School time."

* * *

"What is fear?" Mr. 'Pasternak' asked the class. "Miss Martin." Lydia was avoiding eye contact with Peter, which must have been the reason he'd called on her.

She sighed and looked up and off to the side as if she was thinking. "It's a seven point word in Scrabble." The comment elicited giggles from her classmates.

Peter rolled his eyes. "Okay, settle down." He turned back to Lydia. "How about a real answer this time, Miss Martin."

Lydia bit her tongue to stop herself from saying something she'd regret and took a deep breath. "It's an emotional response induced by a perceived threat. A feeling of anxiety or dread, when you think that something bad is going to happen. Physical signs of fear include accelerated breathing and heart rate, sweating, piloerection, hyperglycemia and dyspepsia. "

Peter leaned over her desk slowly. He extended his claws, and grabbed her wrist in such a way that no one else in the class could see them, then his eyes turned a cold, steel blue. "Do I make you afraid, Miss Martin?"

Lydia stared him in the face. "No."

Peter quirked an eyebrow and released her wrist. "Interesting." He said, then turned his back to her and began walking away. "Well, I certainly make your friend, Miss Argent a little wary."

Lydia looked over to Allison, who quickly hid her hands and closed her eyes.

"Allison?"

"Ah!" Peter turned around and looked at the banshee. " _Now_ you're scared."

"No. Now I'm angry." Lydia snapped at him.

Peter continued staring at her as he spoke to Allison. "Miss Argent, if you need to take a beat, you may leave." Allison quickly got up. Lydia made a move to follow her. "Sit!" Peter said forcefully as he leaned forward, extending his arms to effectively trap her. Lydia sat back, continuing to stare at Peter. After a moment his expression turned to a smirk. "Congratulations Miss Martin. You may not be scared, but all of your classmates are terrified for you. You must be well-loved." Peter turned his back to her once again and Lydia was suddenly overcome with emotion. She quickly got up and ran out of the room.

"Lydia?" she heard Stiles's voice. She looked up, catching a glimpse of Scott as he rounded a corner, presumably to find Allison. "Are you okay?" He asked as he neared her. She shook her head and suddenly Stiles's arms were around her and she was sobbing into his chest. "Come on." He said after a moment. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

"Voodoo?" Scott asked. He wasn't sure he heard Deaton correctly.

"It's a working theory."

"You think Mrs. Finch was killed by voodoo."

"Right now, it's the only thing that's making sense. I'll let you know if I come up with something else."

"Thanks." Scott told him and hung up the phone.

"Voodoo?" Isaac asked. "Did I hear that correctly?" Scott nodded. "So, what? We're looking for a witch doctor?"

Scott shrugged." Not necessarily." The boys heard a snarling noise come from below them. "We better go check on them. If we break something else, Lydia's going to kill us."

"Is she okay?" Isaac asked him as the two boys head for the basement stairs. "I heard she left school early."

"Stiles is with her. I told him to let me know if he needed anything. I also told Kira to stop by." Isaac nodded, and Scott thought about what Stiles told him the night before. "Hey, Isaac?"

"Yeah?"

"You and Allison..."Scott heard the beta's heartbeat pick up. "I know that you kissed her, but...did she kiss you back?"

"No. It was just me." Lie.

Scott eyes narrowed and Isaac knew he'd been caught. "Did you sleep with her?"

Isaac gulped. "No." Another lie. Scott looked down, as guilt seeped in. How could this have happened right under his nose?

"Are you in love with her?" His heart skipped a beat when Scott asked. He didn't need to answer the question for the Alpha to know the truth. "Does she feel the same way?"

"I don't know." The first truthful thing he'd said. Scott nodded.

* * *

"She's asleep in my room." Stiles told Kira as she walked inside of the house. The TV was on, and toys were scattered across the floor.

"Fun night?" she asked.

"Yeah, loads." Stiles told her, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Dad has a late night at the station and it's a full moon, so I'm stuck on babysitting duty."

"Is that why she's here instead of at her own house?"

"Her mom's still out of town. From what I gather, she only needed to go yesterday, but the conference itself lasts for three days. When her boss found out she was stuck there, he told her to go to the other two days of workshops. She's getting her hotel and all of her meals reimbursed, so it's a pretty sweet deal. Unfortunately, that means Lydia would be at home alone, and we still haven't figured out her sleep-walking thing yet."

Kira nodded and looked past Stiles and toward the stairs. "Oh, hey Lydia!" Lydia didn't respond. "Okay...that's just creepy. You guys talked about it, but I had no idea."

"Lydia?" Stiles said. She didn't wake up, she just kept walking toward him. As she got closer, he noticed her teeth chattering. "Are you cold?"

"Body heat." She whispered so softly that he barely understood her.

"Wh-" He tried to ask, but suddenly, her arms were around his neck and her lips were on his.

He immediately felt a chill in his bones. He was no longer standing in his living room, but trying to stay afloat in ice cold water. Something was in his hand, a _device_ of some sort. What was he supposed to be doing again? It was hard to think when Lydia was kissing him. Was this real? Was he just imagining it? Either way, he was going to make the most of it. His back was up against a wall, and he took this opportunity to take control of the situation, flipping them around so that Lydia was the one with her back against the wall. A new-found energy began to surge through him, and there was a vibration in his hand. The device. That was their way out.

Lydia and Stiles pushed away from each other at the same time. They were still standing in the middle of Stiles's living room. Fortunately, no one was against a wall. Although, Kira was staring wide-eyed at them.

Lydia covered her mouth. "Oh my God."

"What the _fuck_ was _that_?!" Stiles yelled.

"I'd sort of like to know the same thing." Kira told him.

Stiles looked at her, confused for a moment, before shaking his head. "No, not the kiss. I'm talking about the water and the cold, and the over-sized video game controller."

"The what?" The kitsune asked.

"You saw it too?" Lydia asked Stiles, avoiding Kira's question.

"Yes! What was it?!"

"You know that you guys were standing right here the entire time, right?" Kira asked them.

"It was..."Lydia started to tell him, but suddenly she couldn't remember. "It was.. what were we talking about?"

Stiles opened his mouth. "I don't know..." He was confused, then he looked slightly angry. "Why did you kiss me?"

Lydia shook her head. "I don't know. I don't remember doing it."

"Well, I remember it." Kira told them. "It was a little awkward if you ask me."

Stiles shook his head. "I need to take a shower." He told the girls and walked away. Lydia felt a sob escape her chest and sat down on the couch.

"Hey," Kira said soothingly as she sat down next to her. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." She shook her head. "I've just been really emotional lately. And I just feel like he's upset with me and we just made up."

"It's not your fault." Kira told her. "You were asleep. You didn't know what you were doing... and FYI... he kissed you back, so either way..."

Lydia laughed humorlessly. "Hey...can you not tell anyone about this. It didn't mean anything, and I feel like it would just make things worse."

Kira nodded. "Yeah... sure."

"Not even Scott?"

"Not even Scott." Kira agreed.

* * *

It was in the wee hours of the morning when the wolves were walking outside to leave Lydia's lake house. Scott was holding the door open for everyone and Allison was the last one inside. He shut the door quickly, before she could walk out.

"Scott, what are you doing?"

"How long has this thing with Isaac been going on?"

Allison paled for a moment "I don't kn-"

"Don't play dumb with me, Allison."

Allison swallowed, as tears formed in her eyes. "Two months." she told him barely above a whisper.

Scott's eyes widened. "Wha- Are you serious?" Allison nodded as Scott was trying to form words and complete thoughts. "Well...I'd say that things have gone on long enough, wouldn't you?"

Allison hung her head. "I'm sorry."

" _I'm_ not the one you should be apologizing to. Just so you know...Stiles is the one who told me something was going on." Allison's eyes widened. "So, you need to figure out which one you want to be with and break it off with the other. Like yesterday."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The suggestion that was made was that Stiles could touch Lydia and see what she saw, similar to what happened in Rome during IJAMOT. So, from there I came up with the kiss and him seeing the Titanic flashback.


	9. Flashback 1.5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Upon re-reading this chapter, I had forgoten how much I liked it!

_Allison stood nervously at her locker. She was waiting for Stiles to come in and trying not to get her hopes up that things would turn out okay. She didn't think that Stiles seemed like all of the other boys she'd dated, but people could surprise you._

" _Hey." She heard from behind her, her heartbeat quickening at his voice. "So, about tonight..." he began. He wasn't coming. Her heart was suddenly in her throat and she felt like crying. "What time should I be there...and is it like a casual thing?"_

_She spun around to face him, her eyes wide. He had a smile on his face and now she just wanted to cry even more (but for a different reason)._

" _You're coming?" Her eyes lit up as she asked him._

_He nodded. "That is...if you still want me to?"_

_Allison couldn't stop herself from throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him._

_Lydia watched the exchange from down the hall. She was happy for them. Truly, she was. But then...why did she feel like she'd just been kicked in the gut?_

" _Good morning." She heard in her ear._

" _Hey." She said, as she turned and smiled at Aaron._

" _Are you okay?" He asked her._

" _Yeah. Why?"_

" _Well...you're crying."_

_Lydia reached up and wiped her face. "Oh." She tried to laugh. "Allergies."_

" _Oh, okay." Aaron didn't question her._

_Stiles would have._

_She groaned inwardly. No. She was not going to be_ that _girl. The one that falls for her best friend. And she wasn't going to be the one who compared every guy to him either._

" _So," She began, brightly. "I was thinking we should do something tonight."_

" _Yeah," Aaron agreed. "Sounds great. We'll talk about it later."_

" _So," Allison was telling Stiles. "I was thinking that maybe you could just take me home after school."_

_Stiles nodded. "Sounds good to me." He looked off to the side, and could have sworn he'd seen a sickly-looking Derek Hale. Stiles quickly did a double take, but the wolf was gone._

" _What?" Allison asked and looked in the direction Stiles was looking._

" _Nothing...I thought I saw..."He sighed and shook his head. "Never mind."_

_Allison looked confused. "Okay..."_

* * *

_The school day came to a close and Allison was following Stiles out to his jeep, when he received a text from Scott._

May need your help.

With what? _He texted back._

Call you later.

_Stiles sighed and climbed into his jeep._

" _So, you may need to remind me of how to get to your house." He told her as he turned out onto the main road._

" _Who was texting you?" She asked._

" _Scott. He said he was going to call me later."_

_Allison nodded. "Take a right." She told him, and Stiles did as he was asked. When they finally got to Allison's house, neither of them moved to get out of the jeep. They both knew that things would change the moment they did. "Are you ready?" She asked him._

" _Are you?"_

_A knock at the window made them both jump._

_Allison sighed. "That's my Aunt Kate."_

" _Guess that means it's time to go." Stiles said._

_Allison nodded and they both got out._

" _Kate, this is Stiles. Stiles, Kate."_

" _Hi," Stiles smiled and extended his hand to the woman._

" _It's great to meet you, Stiles. I've heard a lot about you. Seems you're quite the star athlete."_

 _Stiles blushed. "I wouldn't say I was a_ star _."_

" _He's just being modest." Allison told her aunt._

" _Well, we're glad you decided to join us for dinner." Kate smiled. Kate began to walk toward the door and Allison linked her arm through Stiles's as she led him inside._

_When he walked in, it smelled like he'd just stepped into a bakery._

" _Smells like dad's making the cake." Allison whispered._

" _Allison? Is that you?" Her dad called from the kitchen._

" _Me and Stiles!" She yelled back._

" _Vroom! Rawr!" He heard a small child's voice._

_Allison rolled her eyes and continued to lead Stiles toward the kitchen. "Sounds like he's playing monster trucks. It's his new thing."_

" _Monster trucks are cool." Stiles shrugged. "I like his style."_

_Allison laughed and bit her lip._

" _Stiles!" Chris Argent seemed genuinely happy to see the boy._

" _Chris!" Stiles tried to match his enthusiasm._

" _Hey, you remembered this time." He said, referring to using his first name. Allison unlinked her arm, so that Stiles could extend his hand to her father. "How are you at a grill?" He asked as he shook Stiles's hand._

" _Uhh.. I've tried it once or twice, but that's normally my dad's domain. He's pretty possessive when it comes to his grill." He laughed._

" _Well, you're going to help me tonight."_

" _Dad!"_

" _It's fine," Stiles told Allison. "It'll be nice to actually get to try it out without my dad standing over my shoulder." Chris laughed and opened the refrigerator and took out a plate of hamburgers and hot dogs._

" _Follow me." He told Stiles and led him to the grill outside. Chris turned back around and saw that Allison hadn't followed them. "Look, before she comes out here," He began quietly. "I just want to say thank you."_

" _For what?"_

" _For being here tonight. I know it means a lot to Allison. She doesn't make friends easily. And I know she likes you, but if you guys just stay friends...I know she'll be fine with that too."_

" _Well, you have a pretty great daughter. Anybody who wouldn't want to be her friend is just stupid."_

_Argent laughed. "Go ahead and turn it on." He instructed as he pointed to the grill._

* * *

_About half an hour later, Stiles heard the sliding door open, and turned to see Allison holding a little boy in her arms._

" _He wanted to see what Papa was doing, and Mommy wanted to make sure Papa wasn't intimidating her guest."_

" _We're actually having fun. I haven't burned anything yet!" Stiles said proudly._

" _You know, Stiles," Argent told him slowly. "If you wanted to take a break. I wouldn't be offended."_

" _Uhh.." He looked from Argent to Allison. He actually didn't mind continuing to grill, but something told him it was better to go with Allison. "Sure." He told Argent and handing the spatula over._

" _Stiles, this is Dominic." Allison introduced him to the little boy. "Nic, this is Mommy's friend, Stiles."_

" _Hi." He said in a quiet voice._

" _He's pretending to be shy." Allison told Stiles._

" _I used to do that too." He said, in a voice as if he were speaking to Dominic. "Hi Dominic. It's very nice to meet you. I heard you like to play monster trucks."_

_Dominic's eyes lit up and he nodded enthusiastically. "Do you wanna play?"_

_To be honest...he really did. And he almost said 'Yes!' before realizing he should probably get Allison's permission first. "Is it okay if we play monster trucks?" Stiles asked, silently pleading for her to tell him it was fine._

_Allison rolled her eyes and put Dominic down. "Yeah..go ahead."_

_Dominic quickly grabbed Stiles's hand and led him back inside. Allison sighed._

_Argent turned his daughter and pointed with the spatula. "I like him."_

" _Yeah...I do too."_

" _Let's try to keep him around."_

* * *

" _Scott, I can't talk right now. We're about to eat." Stiles whispered into his phone._

" _Derek's dying."_

" _...okay? And I should care because?"_

" _If I want to know anything about what's happening to me. I need him around."_

" _What about Malia? She can help you. Why do you need him?"_

" _He saved me from the hunters. I need to return the favor."_

" _Okay, then do it yourself. Why involve me?"_

" _Because he was shot by a hunter. He thinks it may be Allison's aunt."_

_Stiles sighed. "Of course."_

" _Please?"_

" _I'll see what I can do. But I'm not making any promises, and I'm not going to rush through eating this fabulous meal that I helped prepare." Stiles hung up._

_Scott gave the phone a confused look as he pulled it away._

" _He's going to do what he can." Scott told Derek as he turned to him._

" _Yeah?" Derek asked, his breathing labored. "On a scale of one to ten... How successful do you think he'll be?" Scott opened his mouth to answer, but couldn't decide what he wanted to say. "If it's not an immediate ten, it's time to think about a plan B."_

" _Which is?"_

_Derek picked up a saw. "You're going to cut my arm off."_

* * *

_Lydia added the final touch to her makeup before her mother knocked on her door. "There's a young man downstairs."_

" _His name's Aaron." Lydia told her mother with a smile. "We're going on a date."_

_Her mom nodded slowly. "A date, huh?" The she sighed. "Honey, do we need to have a talk?"_

_Lydia's eyes widened. "No, mom...we're good."_

" _Just remember... if he tries to make you do something you aren't ready to do-"_

" _Mom!"_

" _Just say no. And you can call me."_

" _Mom," She tried again. "I know... I'm fine."_

_Natalie nodded, then began again. "And if it is something you want to do just make sure you're protected."_

" _Mom! I know!" She sighed and mumbled. "Believe me...I know."_

* * *

_It was nearly two hours after Scott had hung up with his brother when Stiles ran into the clinic, surprised by the sight in front him._

" _What the hell is happening in here?!" His voiced raised an octave as he saw his brother with the saw in his hand._

" _Where's the bullet?" Derek asked, on the verge of passing out._

_Stiles turned his head to the door. "Allison?"_

" _It's here." She said coming out from behind the door, taking the bullet out of her purse._

" _What is she doing here?" Derek asked angrily as Scott took the bullet from her._

" _She's here to help!" Stiles explained._

" _I dated a werewolf once, and I don't agree with hunting."_

" _She could just be saying that." Derek said as he tried to open the bullet._

" _Believe me. She's not." Stiles told him, trying to get him to back off._

_Scott sighed feeling betrayed. "I can't believe you just told her about me."_

_Allison's eyes widened and Stiles sighed. "I didn't."_

" _No...but_ you _just did." Allison told him._

_Derek was lighting the wolfsbane on fire, but Stiles could still see he was mad. "But, in my defense," He began. "She walked in on me looking for the bullet-"_

" _He's not very good at snooping." Allison added._

" _Then she started asking me all these questions, and she pretty much ended up guessing it all on her own."_

_Derek smashed the ashes of the wolfsbane into the wound, then yelled in pain. The wound suddenly disappeared and he sat up._

" _I don't trust you." He told Allison bluntly._

" _Well, the feeling's mutual, but then again. I did just help save your life...and your limb."_

" _How do I know you're not just going to go back to your father and tell him everything?"_

" _My father and I have an understanding. While I don't agree with him hunting, he's promised to only go after the bad guys... Like this alpha. He's killing people and it needs to stop."_

" _I agree. I just don't see how just dating a werewolf makes you an ally. I mean, it obviously didn't work out between you two."_

" _Derek-" Stiles tried, but Allison cut him off._

" _No, he wants to know, so I'll tell him." She took a deep breath. "You're right. It didn't work out. He was a terrible boyfriend, who had a terrible temper, and it was a really bad break up. Five minutes alone with this guy would put a bad taste for werewolves in anyone's mouth. But you see, this werewolf, is also the father of my son." Scott's eyes widened and his mouth dropped as he looked to Stiles. Oh yeah...He'd forgotten to tell Scott about Nic. "Which means," Allison continued. "That there's a 50% chance that's he's also going to be a werewolf, and I don't want my kid growing up and living in fear that he's going to be killed by his own family. And the way I see it...you can't be okay with it sometimes and not okay with it others. So...unless you're a serial killer...you have nothing to worry about."_

* * *

_Lydia and Aaron had gone to get dinner and afterward they'd gone to Beacon Pointe. It was a known make-out spot, and in Aaron's defense, he'd asked Lydia if she wanted to go there and she told him yes-knowing full-well what that meant._

_As they kissed, Aaron had his hand on Lydia's leg. It slowly moved further and further up under her dress, and as it reached her thigh, where his finger tips were touching her panties, she reflexively grabbed his arm to stop him. He pulled away from her and searched her face- Her very confused face._

" _I'm sorry." She told him. "I...I don't know why I did that."_

" _It's okay." He told her and moved his hand away. "If you're not comfortable-"_

" _No!" She told him, "I am." She took a deep breath. "If you do it again, I won't stop you this time."_

_He chuckled. "Okay." He began to kiss her again, this time, putting his hand on her waist. His hand slowly roamed her back, eventually finding the zipper at the top of her dress, and he pulled. He'd only gotten the zipper halfway down when Lydia put her hand on his chest and pushed him away._

_He let out a laugh as he looked down. "Seriously, Lydia. If you don't want to do this, we don't have to. Look, if you're a virgin, it's okay."_

" _I'm not!" She yelled, mainly because she was frustrated with herself. She took a deep breath. "I don't know what's wrong with me." They sat in silence for a moment before Lydia lifted her head. "I have an idea." she told him, then climbed across the seats and into his lap. "There." She said as she straddled him. Maybe if she were in control it would be easier. She began to kiss him again as she held onto the collar of his shirt. She began to work her fingers over the buttons down his shirt as he held onto her waist. Suddenly, it was like her fingers had frozen up. She was about four buttons in, but she couldn't get the next one undone. She felt him stop kissing her and she sat up, getting more and more frustrated. Aaron's hands reached up and grabbed hers as a sobbed escaped her chest. It was then that she realized she was crying- like full-on tears streaming down her face crying._

" _Lydia?" He asked soothingly._

" _I'm sorry." She told him and reached over to grab her clutch, then opened his door and got out._

" _Lydia! Come back! I'll take you home!" He yelled after her, but she'd broken into a sprint was now running through the woods. She ran for a little bit, not sure where she was going, until she finally just collapsed against a tree._

_She didn't know why she was crying. Maybe there were several reasons...the frustration, the embarrassment, the overwhelming feeling that she was with the wrong person?_

_She pulled her phone out of her purse and called Stiles._

_He answered on the second ring._

" _Hey, Lyd. What's up?" She sniffled, and tried to speak. But at the same time, she didn't trust her voice. "Are you okay?" He asked her. Concern definitely evident in his voice._

" _Where are you?" She asked him._

" _I just left Allison's house."_

" _Oh, right." She'd forgotten about his dinner with her family. "How'd it go?"_

" _The dinner went great. Afterwards, things got a little weird."_

" _Weird how?" She asked._

" _Lydia? Where are you?" That was just like him. Always concerned for her safety._

_She looked around. "I...I don't know...The woods...somewhere."_

" _The woo-Lydia! You do remember there's an alpha werewolf running around out there, right?"_

" _Honestly, I'd sort of forgotten that." She could just imagine Stiles rolling his eyes._

" _I'm coming to get you. Don't hang up."_

" _Okay."_

_He sighed. "Derek nearly died."_

" _Really?"_

" _Yeah. That's what I meant by it getting weird." He took a deep breath. "Where were you before you were in the woods?"_

_She sighed. "Beacon Pointe?"_

" _Oh." He said with some surprise._

" _Yeah..I...I don't know what happened."_

" _Did he try to force you to-"_

" _No! That's just it! He kept giving me an out, but I kept saying I wanted to. But then I kept pushing him away, and then I started crying and then I just ran." She sighed. "He probably hates me."_

" _I don't think he'll hate you."_

" _So Derek almost died?" She changed the subject._

" _Yeah," He went with it. "Some sort wolfsbane-filled bullet. Shot by my girlfriend's aunt."_

_Lydia felt a pang in her chest. "Girlfriend?"_

" _Uh...yeah.." She could hear the smile in his voice. "After the whole 'saving Derek' adventure, we decided to make it official."_

" _That's great." She tried to sound happy for him. She really hoped he didn't hear her choke on that sob. "Wait." She said, as she tried to calm herself down again. "What do you mean adventure? Allison was with you?"_

" _Yeah... so... Scott told me he needed to find out what type of bullet Derek was shot with, so I'm in Kate's room...Kate's her aunt by the way...anyway, I'm in her room looking for this bullet, and Allison walks in. And at that point I'd found this gun under Kate's bed and Allison looks me and she's like 'what are you doing?' and I was like...uhh...and I didn't say anything, because I couldn't think of anything to say...And then she's like 'where did you find that?' and I pointed under the bed. So then she like starts examining the gun and then she finds this box of bullets and she realizes that one of them is missing. And she's like, 'Wait, do you know what happened to the other bullet?' and I was like 'Maybe?' And she was like 'Did it hit a werewolf?' and I was like "whaaaaa' and then she was like 'cut the crap. Did she shoot a wolf?' And I was like.. 'well...it's a definite possibility.' And she told me to take her to him, so I did. And on the way over she tells me that Dominic's father is a werewolf, so she's super protective of wolves."_

" _Wow.."_

" _Yeah...okay, so I'm at Beacon Pointe... you know...I feel really weird being here with nobody else." Lydia rolled her eyes. "So, if I'm sitting in my car, which side did you run to. The right or the left?"_

" _Left. I went out the driver's door."_

" _Okay. Hold on." It sounded like the line went dead for a moment, maybe he'd gotten another call. "Are you still there?" He asked when he came back._

" _Yeah. I'm here."_

" _Alright, let me know when you can hear me."_

" _So, how was her kid?"_

" _He's adorable. He looks just like Allison. We played monster trucks. And I grilled with her dad." Lydia opened her mouth." And before you ask. No I didn't burn anything."_

" _Wow! I'm impressed."_

" _Right?! I was very proud of myself."_

" _I just heard you!"_

" _Alright, I'm going to keep walking... tell me when my voice goes away again."_

 _She sighed. "It's already gone." Silence. "Stiles!" No response. "Stiles!"_ Beep beep beep.

" _Found you." She heard from behind her. She nearly jumped out of her skin and she turned around and saw Stiles standing there. She threw her arms around him._

" _I've never been so happy to see you!" She told him._

" _Come on." He laughed. "Let's get you home." She sighed and leaned against him as they walked out of the woods. "Oh, just so you know...Aaron's not mad."_

_She scoffed. "How do you know?"_

" _I saw him when I parked. That's why I put you on mute. So I could talk to him. He was actually worried and wanted to stay until you came back. I told him you'd see him at school tomorrow."_

_Lydia sighed. "Thank you."_

" _You're welcome. What are best friends for?"_

_Definitely not for falling in love with...that's for sure._


	10. Pack Meeting

Stiles showed up at Allison's house after school. She'd asked him to come over, saying they needed to talk. He had decided that yeah...they really did. And of course, he hadn't seen Nic since before Allison had.

He rang the doorbell, and Chris opened the door.

'Hey, Stiles." The man gave a tired smile.

"Hey, Chris. How was your 'guys' trip?"

"Exhausting. You should come next time."

Somehow Stiles didn't think there would be a next time for multiple reasons, but he still nodded. "Absolutely."

"Allison's in the living room." He opened the door further so that Stiles could go inside.

He walked into the living room, and watched Allison and Dominic playing with dinosaurs. It was the little boy's new thing. He caught Allison's eye, and she looked up and smiled at him. Dominic turned to see what his mother was looking at.

"Stiles!" He yelled and ran over to the teenager, jumping up into his arms. Stiles scooped him up in one motion and Dominic threw his arms around Stiles's neck. Stiles wasn't ashamed to admit that he was Dominic's best friend. The four year-old had proclaimed it several times.

"I missed you!" The little boy whispered into his ear.

Stiles felt tears sting his eyes as he whispered back, "Yeah...I missed you too." He didn't want to let go, afraid that this may be the last hug he'd ever get.

He finally sat down with him on the floor, and the three of them played dinosaurs for a little while before Allison announced that it was time for Dominic to put his toys away and get ready for bed.

Dominic whined, but did as he was told. Allison sent her father after him to make sure everything got done.

"Come on." Allison told Stiles as she walked back into the room. She grabbed his hand and led him upstairs and into her room. She closed the door behind them, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

He didn't kiss her back.

She realized this, and slowly pulled away from him, then sighed. He walked away and sat down on the bed and she sat next to him.

"You said we needed to talk." Stiles told her. "So, let's talk."

"Scott said..." She started after a moment "That you know about Isaac."

"I know he's a massive pain in my ass." He quipped. Mainly because, he'd had his suspicions, and he hoped he was wrong. But here she was basically confirming it.

She sighed. "I mean about us-"

"Fucking behind my back?" He finished for her. He was angry. He had the right to be.

Allison looked away, and continued. "I'm sorry I accused you of cheating with Lydia. It was the guilt I guess." Stiles didn't say anything, so she continued. "Scott said that I needed to make a decision and-"

"I wanna break up."

Allison's head popped up and her eyes widened. "What? But no... I..." Tears began to fill her eyes as she processed what he'd said. "I chose you, Stiles. I broke it off with Isaac today."

"The thing is..." He told her, getting choked up. "Is that I can't be with someone who ever _stopped_ choosing me."

"But," She began again, fighting sobs. "I love you."

He smiled sadly, tears shining in his eyes. "I love you, too." He sighed. "You just have to admit that things haven't been the same between us for awhile. I don't know if that's what drove you away to begin with, or if this thing with Isaac is what started it. But, we should be mature enough to know when to call it quits."

"I'm sorry." She told him. "Please...can we just..." She sniffled. "Can we just try this again?"

Stiles shook his head sadly. "No...But... can I just...can I make one request?"

Allison looked up, slightly hopeful. "What?"

"Don't keep Nic from me?"

Allison closed her eyes. "Of course not." She told him, then opened them again. "You're his best friend." She smiled through the tears. "I think he missed you more than he missed me." Stiles smiled sadly and lifted his hand up to her face to wipe her tears away. She leaned into his hand and took a deep breath. "Can I make a request?" He nodded. "Can I get a goodbye kiss?"

He nodded slowly, cupping her face with the hand that was already there, then pressed his lips to hers.

It got admittedly heated for a goodbye kiss, but Nic's, "Mommy!" pulled them out of it.

"Coming!" She yelled, then turned back to Stiles. "Did you want to say goodnight?"

Stiles couldn't help but feel relieved that she said 'goodnight' instead of 'goodbye'. She'd just told him that she wouldn't keep Nic from him, but this made him feel a lot better. "Yeah." He told her. "I do."

* * *

Lydia closed her eyes. "Come on." She muttered to herself. "Just go to sleep, Lyd." She tossed and turned in her bed, squeezing her eyes shut even further. Suddenly, her ears perked up at the sound of a car nearby. Her eyes popped open, and she saw the gleam from the headlights projecting onto her wall.

Who would be coming to her home in the middle of the night? She got up and looked out the window. The familiar blue jeep sat there, it's driver still inside. She felt her heart jolt in her chest, and butterflies in her stomach. She then took a deep breath. "Calm down." She told herself.

She ran downstairs and opened the front door, then leaned against the door frame. She was smirking slightly, ready to come up with some quick remark. Except…when he opened the door and stepped out, he looked absolutely wrecked. Lydia stood up straighter as he walked toward her. As he neared, she could see that he'd been crying recently.

"Stiles?" she asked him. "Are you okay?" She opened her door wider so he could walk in.

She closed the door behind him once he was inside, then turned to face him. "I broke up with Allison." He said, his voice cracking.

Lydia's eyes widened, and she felt her stomach flip. Why was she so happy about that?

"I'm so sorry." She told him sincerely as she hugged him. She felt him begin to cry again and all she could do was hug him harder. "It's okay." She whispered comfortingly in his ear.

"Sorry," He laughed humorlessly as he pulled away from her and wiped his eyes. "This is _so_ not manly."

She sighed, giving him a sympathetic smile as she touched his arm. "No one expects you to be manly." He raised an eyebrow and she closed her eyes. "That's not what I meant."

Stiles chuckled. "God, Lyd. Way to kick me when I'm down."

"I just meant," She tried to hold back her giggle. "That you _just_ broke up with your girlfriend...for the second time... but this time it's...final. It's your pity party, and you can cry if you want to."

He sighed. "I need a drink."

Lydia shook her head. "You don't need a depressant...but I can make you some coffee?" She turned to head toward the kitchen and he followed.

"It's not going to be some weak-ass, might-as-well-be-drinking-tea kind of coffee is it?"

"Of course not! Do you even remember _me_? The girl who has marathon study sessions. I better know how to make good coffee if I'm going to stay awake that long." She went to the coffee maker and began to change the filter.

"That's right." He said defensively as he sat at a bar stool. "It's Allison that doesn't know how to make coffee." The small smile he'd had on his face, suddenly fell. He sighed and looked up at her. "You're in your pajamas." He noted.

"Yeah…" She told him as she turned around after hitting start. "I was trying to sleep."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. I wasn't having any success." He cracked a small smile. "Honestly," she began as she leaned onto the counter. "The best sleep I've gotten recently was at your house."

Stiles nodded and looked at the clock. "Wait a second... it's only like 9:30...You never go to bed this early."

"Yeah I know... I figured that if I tried to go to sleep earlier, maybe I'd be able to actually fall asleep sooner."

Stiles thought about that and shrugged. "Good theory."

Lydia nodded. "So...Allison..."

Stiles looked down and Lydia reached her hand over to rest it on his. "Yeah...she told me that she broke it off with Isaac... and then I broke up with her."

"Wow."

"Yeah... she said that Scott told her to choose, and she chose me."

"But the fact that Scott had to tell her choose in the first place is-"

"That's what I said!"

They both chuckled.

"Why did you come here?" Lydia asked him.

Stiles shrugged. "I don't know. I just started driving home, but ended up here instead." He looked down at their hands. He'd been subconsciously playing with her fingers and rubbing small circles on the back of her hand. "I guess I just needed to talk to someone."

"I'm surprised you'd want to talk to me." She said, subtly moving her hand away from him.

"Why?" He asked as he quirked an eyebrow.

"I thought things just got a little weird last night...You know...with the sleep walking."

"Oh." He chuckled. "I mean... obviously it was fine. I let you sleep in my bed again, didn't I? If I was too freaked out, you'd been on the couch."

"Hey!"

"What?"

"You mean to tell me you would have made me sleep on the couch instead of getting the bed? What kind of host are you?"

"Uh...only the most amazing host you'll ever have the pleasure of staying with."

She laughed. "Is that so?"

"Yeah." He smiled, but it soon faded. "I just can't believe it's really over."

"Is she still going to let you see Dominic?"

Stiles nodded. "She says she is."

Lydia could no longer hear the coffee dripping into the pot and turned around to turn it off. "That's good." She replied. She poured him a cup and handed him creamer and sugar. "Here you go."

"You're not going to have a cup?" He asked as he poured just the right amount of sugar into his cup.

"I'm trying to go to sleep, remember?"

"Oh yeah." He said as he took a large gulp of the hot liquid, and sighed contentedly. "This is really good coffee."

Lydia shrugged. "Told you."

Stiles tapped on his mug as he thought about something. With sudden realization, he lifted his head an announced, "I'm single!"

Lydia widened her eyes in amusement. "Yes you are."

"I don't know how I feel about this."

Lydia yawned. "I don't know what to tell you."

Stiles sighed. "You should go to bed. I should get home."

"You know, you could stay..." Then she shrugged. "If you want."

Stiles seemed to think about that, but then shook his head. "I should really be getting home."

"Oh...yeah...okay."

Stiles smiled. "Thanks for listening to me."

She shrugged. "What are best friends for? Am I right?" Stiles smiled. "Here," Lydia began as she grabbed his cup of coffee. "Let me get you something to take this with you."

* * *

Scott was already asleep when Stiles got home; however, his dad was not.

"Hey, son." The Sheriff said. He was sitting in his favorite armchair. All the lights were out except the one next to him. His reading glasses were on, and he had a case file in his hand with a stack in his lap.

"Hey." He said, his voice breaking as he closed the front door. He coughed to try to cover it, but who was he kidding?

"Are you okay?" His father asked as he sat up, ready to move the files away.

Stiles nodded. "Fine." He said, then sat down next to his dad, grabbing a file off of his lap. The Sheriff didn't protest.

"Did you get into another fight with Lydia?"

"Nope." Stiles said, shaking his head and reading over the file.

"Did you have a fight with Scott?"

Stiles thought about it. "Not today."

"Did Isaac piss you off again?"

Stiles scoffed. "Well, that's an everyday occurrence."

The Sheriff's eyes narrowed. "Did he do something to piss you off more than usual?"

"Oh, he did something alright."

"Well...what was it?'

Stiles put the file down for a moment, taking a deep breath as he thought about how to answer that question. "It's not so much a question of _what_ , but _who._ " His father stopped to think about his son's words, as Stiles picked up the folder once more and continued flipping through it. He was at the end when he said, "In other, possibly related, news," He closed the file and stood up. "Allison and I broke up." He dropped the folder back into his father's lap, and began to walk away. "Goodnight, Dad." Leaving the Sheriff to put the pieces together.

* * *

Scott didn't ride with Stiles to school the next day, so he didn't understand the strange vibes he was getting from his pack. Isaac was avoiding eye contact with everyone, Stiles wasn't at Allison's locker like he normally was, Allison was visibly upset, and Lydia just looked uncomfortable. That was sort of how Scott felt too.

Lydia kept glancing over at Allison and saw how upset she looked. The banshee finally closed her locker door and walked up to her. "Allison? I just...I heard about you and Stiles, so...if you need to talk or if you just want to spend the day watching sappy movies and crying into ice cream cartons then-"

Allison turned around. The expression on her face was unreadable. Suddenly, her perfume hit Lydia's nostrils. The banshee's hand flew to her mouth and she quickly ran off.

Kira saw Lydia run away and exchanged looks with Allison and then Scott, who was further down the hall. He gave her a nod and she went in the direction Lydia had gone.

"Lydia?" She called as she hesitantly walked into the bathroom. Lydia was leaning over the sink. "Are you okay?" Kira asked.

Lydia closed her eyes and nodded. "I thought I was going to be sick, but I'm fine."

"What happened?"

Lydia shrugged. "Besides, Allison purposefully wearing the perfume that makes me nauseous?"

"How do you know she did it on purpose?"

Lydia sighed. "I don't. Maybe she just wasn't paying attention this morning... I mean...she did just break up with Stiles-"

"What?! Stiles and Allison broke up?"

Lydia's eyes widened. "Is that not common knowledge yet?"

"Uh... NO!"

"Oh... well... yeah." she lifted herself onto the counter. "She and Isaac have been..." Lydia trailed off, but gave Kira a look that told her what she needed to know.

Kira's eyes widened. "You're kidding!" Lydia shook her head. "Wow. You know...they've been together for as long as I've known them."

"Actually, when you officially met them they were _Ross and Rachel_ -ing it." Kira gave her a confused look. Lydia rolled her eyes. "They were _on a break_."

"Really?"

"Yep. _Definitely_ not together."

"Huh...Well I guess it just seemed like they were together." Lydia made a face. _How?_ She wanted to ask, but decided not to. "So, what does 'Single Stiles' do?" Kira asked.

Lydia shrugged. "I don't even think he knows just yet."

"Well... are you okay now?"

Lydia nodded. "Yeah...yeah I think so."

When the girls walked out of the bathroom, Scott was waiting for them.

"Pack meeting tonight." He told them. "7:00. My house." Then he walked away.

Kira and Lydia exchanged looks.

* * *

Liam, Corey, Hayden, and Mason all looked pretty terrified as they sat in the middle of the room with all of the older kids scattered around them.

"Alright, guys. Look," Scott began. "We've got a new threat in town, and we're not sure what it is;, and we also have Peter back- and God knows, what kind of trouble he's going to bring our way. But right now, I feel like we're keeping a lot of things from each other, and while I can respect that some things are private," He took this chance to look pointedly at Stiles. "I feel like the pack is being made up of secrets and lies at the moment, and we're not going to be able to defeat anybody when we can't trust each other. I'd like us all to go around and get whatever we need to, off of our chests."

"Where's the spirit stick we're supposed to pass around?" Isaac asked as he rolled his eyes. Liam, Mason, and Corey laughed at the remark.

Scott sighed, not answering him. "I'll go first. First off, I'd like to apologize to everyone for probably not being the alpha that I should be. I've apparently been too wrapped up in other things to notice some...changes...and who knows what else I've missed. I also, wanted to apologize to Stiles in front of everyone. I'm a terrible brother and I never should have accused you of cheating on Allison." Stiles's eyes widened slightly and he glanced at Allison, who seemed minorly suspicious. "You're not that kind of guy. Who wants to go next?"

"I'll go." Liam said and stood up. "Sometimes I feel like you guys treat us like we're kids. We're only two years younger, and you were our age when all the craziness started, so...yeah...just..." He didn't finish his sentence, he just sat down.

"Okay..." Scott said after an awkward pause where he wasn't sure if Liam was going to continue or not. "Who's next?"

"I've been cheating on Stiles for two months." Allison announced suddenly. The only people not surprised, were Scott, Isaac, and Stiles. Lydia, who was only surprised by the length of time it had been going on, quickly turned to look at Stiles to see his reaction. Allison continued, "And he broke up with me last night. After I broke it off with..." She took a deep breath. "Issac." Allison paused to gather her thoughts. "Stiles, I wanted to apologize to you again. I should never have let it get to that point. And in answer to your question from last night...I think it was things not being the same that drove me away. I don't think I ever got over the fact that you lied to me about sleeping with Lydia." There was a coldness in Allison's eyes when she said it, and Stiles squinted his in a glare. The air in the room turned awkward. Sure, pretty much everyone knew that Stiles and Lydia had slept together, they just didn't know the extent-It was always like the elephant in the room that nobody dared to address. Stiles looked away, not wanting a fight with her. Lydia, was getting angry. "Lydia," She began again. "I _did_ wear that perfume on purpose. I spent a lot of money on it, and just because it 'makes you sick,'" She used air quotes, "Doesn't mean I'm going to stop wearing it. I like it."

"Okay!" Scott said, quickly hoping to stop them before anything started. "Wh-"

"Allison, I'm in love with you!" Isaac blurted suddenly. Allison broke eye contact with the glaring contest she was having with Lydia and Stiles and turned to Isaac in surprise.

"What?!"

"I know that you probably don't feel the same way, and you've already put an end to this, so it's not like this confession is going to make anything worse for me. Right? So... I just thought you should know." Allison gaped at him.

"Lydia kissed Stiles on the night of the full moon!" Kira said quickly, then clasped her hand over her mouth. Stiles and Lydia turned to look at her.

"Kira!" Lydia whisper-yelled at the kitsune.

Allison's head snapped up, "I fucking knew it!" she yelled. Stiles turned back to his ex-girlfriend, who was shooting daggers at him. "You bastard! You make me feel terrible, and this whole time you've been fucking _her_ behind my back!"

"It's not like that! She was sleep-walking."

"Oh, so now you're going to use that as an excuse for everything?"

"It's not an excuse! It's the truth! Look, Lydia means nothing to me! I've never once cheated on you, Ali! We'd still be together if you hadn't secretly been with this loser." He motioned to Isaac.

"Well, what if it wasn't a secret anymore?" Before Stiles could ask what she meant, she turned to Isaac and grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him in for a kiss.

He quickly pushed her away. "What is your problem?!" He yelled at her.

Allison's cheeks turned red, and Stiles wasn't sure if it was out of embarrassment or anger. "I-" She tried, but Isaac interrupted her.

"Look, Allison. I love you, but I'm not going to be the guy you use to get back at your ex." Isaac walked toward the door, and Allison shot Stiles a glare before going after him.

"I mean nothing to you?" He heard a quiet voice say behind him as the front door closed. He turned to see Lydia visibly upset. "After _everything_ we've been through, you're saying I mean absolutely nothing to you?" She got louder.

He shook his head. "That's not-"

"You could have said 'we're just friends'. You could have said 'that's all in the past'. You could have said anything else, but you said that I mean _nothing_ to you?!" Lydia saw only anger and a tinge of sadness in his eyes. "You're still mad." She said with realization.

"Of course I'm mad, Lydia!" He yelled. "It's going to take time to get over it!"

"It's been nearly a year! I thought you _were_ over it!"

"That's not something you just get over! I _want_ to move past it! That has to count for something!"

"Well, here's my confession. I never stopped hating you!"

Stiles rolled his eyes. "Bull shit." Lydia suddenly started crying, and Stiles rolled his eyes. "God, you're _so_ emotional! Are you pregnant again?!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized what he'd said. Half a second later, he felt the stinging on his cheek from where Lydia had slapped his face.

"You fucking prick." She glared angrily before marching toward the front door and slamming it closed. Stiles closed his eyes, afraid to meet the stares from everyone else, and ran upstairs to his room.

Scott and Kira exchanged looks and the sophomores looked back and forth from their leader to each other.

"Um..." Mason began slowly. "Did he say _again_?"


	11. Flashback 1.6

_Lydia heard her alarm clock go off, but she didn't want to get up. If she_ _had to face Aaron today, she didn't know what she would say. Probably nothing, then just die from embarrassment. She contemplated how easy it would be to avoid him, then just debated faking sick and not going to school altogether._

_And that's exactly what she did. She turned her alarm off and went back to sleep. At 8:30, she woke up to her phone ringing. She sleepily reached over and picked it up to see who it was. Stiles._

" _Hello?" She answered, her voice scratchy._

" _Oh my God! You're alive!" He exclaimed._

" _Yes...for now."_

" _Why aren't you at school?"_

" _Well, gee...I don't know." She said sarcastically, as she rolled over. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I threw myself at a guy, then ran away from him."_

_She heard Stiles laugh. "Lydia, I told you...he's okay with it. Just come to school."_

_"I can't. I'm sick." She faked a cough. "Bye. Stiles."_

" _Wai-" He tried, but she was already hanging up. She huffed as she dropped her phone onto the bed, then covered her head with the blanket._

* * *

 _She went to school on Wednesday, and Aaron immediately found her._ So much for the 'avoiding him' plan _. She thought._

" _Lydia!" He said as he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to the side, "You ignored all of my calls and texts yesterday, last night,_ and _Monday night. Look, I never wanted you to feel pressured to do anything. I wasn't expecting anything from you."_

" _I know." She said softly. "I just...I wanted to be with you-I_ do _want to be with you." She quickly corrected herself. "I just...I don't know what happened the other night. I guess I got flustered and then I got embarrassed and I-"_

" _Hey," he said soothingly as he tilted her chin. "It's fine. We'll wait. I have no problem with waiting." She nodded, and he sweetly kissed her lips. "See you after school." He told her, and then walked away._

" _What'd I tell you?" She heard from behind her. She turned to see Stiles standing there, a goofy grin on his face._

" _Shut up." She rolled her eyes._

" _I told you! He really likes you, Lydia! The only one who cared was you."_

" _Yeah..."_

" _What?" He asked her._

_She looked up confused. "What do you mean, what?"_

" _I don't know...you just... you looked like you were thinking about something..."_

" _Nope." She shook her head, as she tried to hide the fact that she'd been caught. Because yes...she was thinking about something. She was thinking about how Stiles was acting like he's always acted. Like having sex didn't change anything between them. Which is what she had wanted, right? Maybe she'd fallen into that cliché that girls can't just have sex without emotions. As it stood, she was the_ only _person who knew what it was like to have sex with Stiles Stilinski. And he was the only one who knew what it was like to have sex with her. No one else could say that. Maybe that meant more to Lydia than it did to him. She would always remember her first time. She would look back years from now and remember how she lost her virginity to her best friend. And she hoped he would do the same. He would never have another first time (or second or third-because yeah..they were by themselves for hours). So why didn't that mean anything to him? Why was she still_ just _his best friend?_

" _Hey," He said a concerned look on his face. "Why are you crying?" He asked as he lifted his hand to wipe a tear away from her cheek._

_She pulled away from him slightly. "I'm fine." She told him and walked away._

* * *

_It was Thursday when Lydia saw Allison and Stiles coming out of the supply closet a little disheveled. Allison later giddily confirmed that she and Stiles had taken their relationship to the next level the night before._

_Lydia smiled and acted like she was happy for them as her heart broke. She wasn't sure what was worse-that it had happened, or that Stiles didn't tell her first. If they were still best friends then she should be the first person he told. So maybe things had changed after all...and not necessarily for the better. As soon as school was over she'd gone directly to her car and broke down as soon as she was inside._

_She heard a knock at her window and turned to see Aaron standing there. She wiped her eyes and rolled down her window._

" _Are you okay?" He asked her._

" _I'm fine. I'm just...It's been a long day."_

" _Do you want some company?" He asked her._

_She smiled. "Thanks, but not right now."_

_He nodded. "Fair enough. See you tomorrow."_

* * *

_On Friday, Lydia woke up feeling refreshed. Maybe all that had to happen was for Stiles to move on for her to move on. When she finally saw Aaron at school (several hours into her day), she'd pulled him into a long kiss._

" _What was that for?" He asked her as he pulled away._

" _For being there through the crazy this week." They smiled at each other. "Do you want to do something tonight?"_

" _Only, if you want to." He said slowly._

" _Absolutely." She told him._

" _Hey, Lydia." Stiles bounced up to her with excitement. "I'm gonna go throw lacrosse balls at Scott. Wanna come?"_

_Lydia crinkled her forehead. "Uhh...no thanks?" He shrugged and walked away._

" _What was that about?" Aaron asked._

" _No idea." She said as she shook her head._

* * *

" _Alright," Stiles started as he got out of the jeep. "What are we doing here?" He asked his brother. He stopped as he noticed the older wolf standing there. "And by_ we _I mean_ all _of us."_

" _I could ask the same thing." Derek said as he glared at Allison who had just climbed out of the jeep as well._

_Stiles glared at him for a moment before noticing the person in the backseat of Derek's car. "Holy shit! Is that your boss?"_

" _He's not the alpha." Scott quickly clarified._

" _I wouldn't be so sure." Derek piped._

" _In answer to your question." Scott began again, ignoring his comment. "We're going to draw the alpha out."_

_Twenty minutes later Scott, Allison, and Stiles were running back into the school._

" _We're going to draw the alpha out." Stiles mimicked his brother as the three of them held the door closed. "Yeah...great plan, Scotty."_


	12. Best Friends Don't Stay Mad

Isaac was leaning on the porch railing when Allison walked out.

"I'm sorry." She mumbled.

He shook his head and shrugged. "It's fine."

"No...It's not. I haven't been the greatest friend to Lydia, or girlfriend to Stiles, or mom to Dominic, or...whatever we are to you. I'm just sucking all around."

The two of them became acutely aware of yelling happening inside the house, but tried to ignore it.

"You don't suck." Isaac told her.

Allison gave him a small smile. "Thanks for trying to make me feel better, but I really do."

The front door suddenly swung open, and Lydia stormed out, slamming it behind her. She ran down the steps and about halfway down the sidewalk dropped to her knees. From where they stood, they could see her shoulders rising and falling as sobs wracked her body, and she hugged herself tightly.

"You want to prove you're not that bad of a friend?" Isaac whispered to Allison. She took a deep breath and slowly walked toward the banshee.

"Lydia?" She asked.

"Just don't, Allison." She never lifted her head, she just continued to cry.

Allison turned back to Isaac to ask him what to do. He just sort of gave her a look that said, 'Keep going!.' She sighed and turned back around.

"What happened?" Allison wanted to bend down comfort her, but she knew her perfume was still really strong.

"God, just go away!" Lydia still kept her head down. "I can't do this with you right now."The brunette felt hurt, but she knew she deserved it.

"I'm just...I want to help."

"Lydia?" It was Kira. She spoke softly as she approached the two girls. The kitsune bent down next to Lydia and rubbed her back. "It's okay." She hummed softly.

Allison took a deep breath.. "I'm gonna go." She told whoever was listening. Kira nodded and she turned back to Isaac as if to say, 'I tried.'

Isaac nodded. "Do you want some company?"

Allison gave him a small smile and nodded back.

Kira waited until they were gone before she finally asked Lydia. "Do you want to talk about it?"

She'd calmed down considerably. "Talk about what?"

"The reason you're crying.." Lydia didn't reply. "Why are you crying?"

Lydia shrugged. "I don't know. Nothing. Everything." She finally looked up and met Kira's worried eyes.

"Let's get off the ground and go sit on the porch swing." she suggested. Lydia nodded in reply and the two girls got up.

* * *

Scott and Kira were staring at each other after Lydia and Stiles ran off.

"Did he say _again_?" Mason had questioned.

"Um," Scott said as he cleared his throat. "Well...this meeting is...adjourned." He looked at the sophomores. "You guys may want to go out the back." The four of them got up, Liam mumbling something about wanting to know what happened. Scott ran a hand through his hair and turned to Kira. "I guess I'll take Stiles and you can take Lydia?"

Kira nodded. "Okay."

She headed toward the front door while Scott headed upstairs and into his brother's room.

"Stiles?" No response. "Look, I sent everybody out. It's just me."

He heard a sigh, then a muffled, "Come in." Scott took a deep breath and opened his brother's door. "If you just wanted to say 'I told you so,' you can leave now." Stiles told him quickly. He was laying on his bed, with his face buried in a pillow.

"Why would I say that?"

He finally rolled over. "Because you were right."

Scott didn't respond to his brother's statement. He was too distracted by the red welt forming on Stiles's cheek. "God, she got you good." Stiles sat up as reached up and touched his face very lightly, flinching at his own fingers.

"Yeah, well I don't blame her. I was being a dick."

Scott didn't say anything for a moment, trying to come up with the right thing to say. "Is it true?"

"That I was being dick?"

"No that...that she was..."

"Pregnant?" Scott nodded. Stiles shrugged. "I don't know."

Scott couldn't tell, but it seemed like Stiles was telling the truth. "So, that's not what happened between you two?"

Stiles shook his head. "No..."

His heartbeat didn't change, his breathing didn't quicken. "So, then why-"

"I don't know, Scott!" He snapped.

Scott sighed. "Just so you know, based on your vitals, you're telling the truth."

Stiles made a face and shrugged ."Good, because I am. Why would I lie?"

"I don't know." Scott told him. "I just know that you are."

Stiles sighed and rolled his eyes. "You just said that I passed your werewolf lie-detector, so why would you think I was still lying?"

"Because I know you. And I know you and Lydia did a project in 8th grade where you learned how to pass a lie-detector. I've heard where you've used it on Derek and Peter, but I never thought you'd use it on me." Scott stared his brother in the eye. Stiles stared right back. He didn't even try to deny it, but he also didn't seem sorry about it either. "So you're not going to tell me I'm wrong?"

"What's the point?" Stiles asked. "You wouldn't believe me anyway."

Scott sighed and changed the subject. "Are you going to talk to Lydia?"

Stiles shook his head. "She doesn't want to talk to me."

"How do you know that?"

"Because _I_ know _her_. When she slaps you, you give her her space." Stiles laid back and rolled over onto his side. "Now... Can you give _me_ space and get out of my room?"

* * *

Kira and Lydia sat in silence. Neither girl had said anything since they had walked over to the porch swing. Lydia had stopped crying and both of them were just sitting there thinking.

Kira, was thinking about what the best thing to say was. She'd started several conversations in her head, but decided against all of them.

The front door opened again and both girls looked up to see Scott step out.

"Just so you know, you slapped the shit out of him." He chuckled. Lydia barely cracked a smile.

"He deserved it." She mumbled.

"Yeah...that's what he said." Scott told her as he leaned his back against the railing and folded his arms across his chest. "That's really all he said, come to think of it." Lydia lowered her head. "He told me he made up the pregnancy thing, and said it had nothing to do with what happened to you two. Everything my werewolf senses taught me says I should believe him, but everything being human taught me says something's off. Like if it didn't really mean anything why did you slap him?"

"Because it was rude!" Lydia snapped. "How would you like it if I accused your girlfriend of being pregnant every time she got the least bit hormonal? It's just PMS."

"Why did he say _again_?"

"Because he's a jerk! So what?" Lydia crossed her arms. "I had a scare _once._ With _Aaron_ and I told Stiles about it. The end."

"Why are you lying to me?"

"I'm not lying!" Lydia yelled as her tears began to make their way back. "Why are you interrogating me?"

"Scott-" Kira tried.

"What happened to the baby?"

"There was _never_ a _baby_!" She screamed, and the tears finally broke through.

"Then why are you so upset?"

"Because you're not listening to me."

"Why won't you just tell me the truth?"

"Scott!" Stiles yelled. No one had heard the front door open again, but Stiles had definitely heard the yelling. He was between Scott and Lydia before they could blink. "Leave her alone!"

"God what is it with you two?! You say things that make you upset, then pretend they don't. Then you're yelling at each other one minute and hugging the next. You're driving me crazy! Why won't you just tell me what happened, so I can understand."

"Because it's none of your business." Stiles told him. Lydia suddenly clasped her hand over her mouth and ran back inside.

Scott and Stiles both moved to head toward the front door, but Kira held her boyfriend back.

"Scott," she said softly. "Leave them alone."

"I just," He began harshly, but took a deep breath to calm himself. "I just don't understand why neither of them will tell me what happened. It's been a year of this, isn't that enough time?"

"Evidently not." Kira told him. "Look... let's say you're right and they're both lying. Lydia was _pregnant_. Whether it was Stiles's baby or not, she confided in him with that information and no one else- At least not any of us. She's not pregnant now and she doesn't have a kid, so what happened? It was obviously something bad, so make up whatever you want to in your head, but maybe a year isn't enough time to get over whatever it was." Kira sighed. "Or, you know...maybe you're crazy and they really are telling the truth about this, and now it's your turn to be a dick."

* * *

Lydia was huddled over the toilet when she felt someone pull her hair back and gently rub her back. She knew it was Stiles. She was still mad at him, but she was also grateful.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. She reached up to flush the toilet and leaned back against him, then he leaned back against the wall. Soon, they were both asleep.

Lydia woke up first. As uncomfortable as the cold tile floor was, she felt extremely comfortable wrapped in Stiles's arms.

She moved to get up, but immediately felt sick again and quickly leaned over the toilet. She was amazed she still had something left to throw up. He stirred behind her and she felt him pulling her hair back once more.

"Are you okay?" He asked her when she was done.

She nodded and slowly stood up. "I should leave."

"Are you sure you're up for it? I me-"

"I need to leave." Lydia said more sternly. She sighed. "I can't keep doing this, Stiles."

"Doing what?"

"Yelling at each other one minute, and then acting like everything's okay the next."

"People fight, Lyd...that's just life."

Lydia closed her eyes. "But we're fighting like we did after I told you. We're fighting like it's last year all over again." She took a deep breath. "I don't want you to be mad at me anymore, but if you are...I don't want you to pretend like everything is okay and then just throw it in my face every time we have an argument. Just...be committed one way or another. Either be mad or be my friend."

"Friends can be mad at each other, Lydia." He laughed humorlessly.

"You're right." She smiled sadly. "But friends don't _stay_ mad at each other. That's the difference. When you're ready to be my friend again...you know where to find me."

She walked out of the bathroom, then kept walking toward the front door and all the way out to her car-never turning back.


	13. Flashback 1.7

_Stiles, Scott, and Allison ran into an empty classroom._

" _What do we do?!" Scott panicked._

" _Well, I, for one, think we should get back to the jeep and get the hell out of here!" Stiles yelled._

_Something suddenly crashed through the window sending glass scattering across the floor. The three teens ducked down to protect themselves._

_Allison was the first to look up. "I don't think that's going to be possible." She told them._

" _Why not?" Scott asked._

_Stiles noticed what Allison was talking about. "Because that's the jeep battery." He said, and pointed to the black box in the middle of the floor._

" _Shit." Scott muttered under his breath._

* * *

_Lydia was breathing heavily as Aaron rolled onto his back._

_Her mom had gone out with some friends leaving the house empty, which she was extremely grateful for._

" _Wow." He breathed._

" _Yeah...wow." She chuckled lightly and turned her head toward him. "See? When I'm not being a complete nutcase, I can be fun."_

_He smiled at her and turned his head to face her. "I thought you were fun before. I didn't need you to prove anything."_

_She blushed and turned away. There was a buzzing noise and it took Lydia a moment to process it. "Is that my phone?" She finally asked. Aaron looked over and grabbed her phone then handed it to her as it stopped._

" _Looks like you missed a call from Stiles."_

_She sat up slightly and shrugged as she took the phone. "He'll call back if it's important." She smirked at Aaron then leaned over to kiss him. He lifted his hand and put it on her neck to pull her closer. She heard her phone buzz and saw it light up a few moments later. She pulled away and looked down. She now had a new voicemail._

" _He left a message." She mumbled and hit play on the voicemail. She rolled her eyes when all she heard was the sound of fabric on the microphone of the phone. "It was a butt dial." She told Aaron then turned the phone on speaker so he could hear._

_There was a rustling, and Lydia was about to delete the message when they heard a female scream. Lydia and Aaron exchanged looks._

" _Hurry!" They heard. It sounded like Scott. There was a loud scraping noise, like something heavy being dragged across a hard floor._

" _Oh my God!" It was Allison. "He's dead! The janitor's dead!"_

" _Ali, calm down!" It was Stiles. "It's trapped in the locker room."_

_There was a banging and then they heard Scott say, "It's in the ceiling."_

" _Run!" Stiles yelled before the message ended._

" _Oh my God!" Lydia said frantically as she looked at Aaron._

" _Maybe we should call the police." He suggested._

" _We don't even know where they are, or if they were being serious."_

" _Well, try to call him back."_

_Lydia called Stiles. It went straight to voicemail. "No answer."_

" _They were talking about a janitor and locker room. Maybe they're at the school. I'll take you there." He offered and Lydia nodded._

* * *

_Scott, Stiles, and Allison rounded a corner and nearly ran into somebody. There were five sudden screams._

" _Lydia!" Stiles gasped. "What are you doing here?"_

" _I got a weird voicemail from you and I was worried. Aaron drove me." She pointed to the boy next to her and he smiled and waved._

" _Wait, how'd you get in?" Scott asked._

" _There was an open door." Lydia told him with some confusion._

" _We haven't been able to find an open door. All of our exits have been blocked." Allison told her._

" _It let you in on purpose." Stiles continued. "Now it's trapped you guys in here too."_

" _What is this_ it _that you're talking about?" Aaron asked._

_Suddenly, there was a noise above them and the ceiling gave way._

" _It found us!" Scott yelled. "We need to get out of here."_

* * *

" _You set the school on fire?!" The sheriff yelled at his sons. Ambulances, police cars, and firetrucks surrounded them outside of the school._

" _Not on purpose." Scott mumbled. The two boys had been separated from the rest of the group so that their dad could get a clear answer out of them._

" _In fairness," Stiles began. "I actually was not involved in that part at all." Scott shot him a look, and Stiles just shrugged._

_The Sheriff rubbed his eyes. "Do you mind explaining it all to me again?"_

" _Well, we were being chased." Stiles explained. "We thought we'd lost them when we got to the school, but we hadn't and we hoped that maybe somebody was still inside."_

_Scott continued. "And then the janitor was dead and Lydia and Aaron showed up and we thought maybe we could get out of the school if we went up to the roof, so I went back to find the janitor to get his keys."_

_Stile interrupted. "But we didn't want him to go without any sort of weapon, so Lydia made a Molotov cocktail."_

" _A Moltov-"_

" _It's a firebomb." Stiles elaborated._

" _I know what it is." Stilinski clarified. "The fact that Lydia Martin knows how to make one..."_

" _Anyway," Scott picked up where Stiles had left off. "I went to find the janitor and I heard something behind me and got scared and threw it, and it exploded onto the bleachers." In reality, he was about to throw the beaker, when the alpha tackled him to the ground and it flew out of his hand and into the bleachers._

_Stilinski sighed. "Your mother hears nothing about this. Understand?" The boys nodded. "Now, go home."_

" _What about Allison?" Stiles asked. "I was her ride."_

" _See if Lydia can take her home. If not, I'll get one of my deputies-"_

" _I'll talk to Lydia and Aaron." He said quickly, and he and Scott went back to where the other three were standing._

" _How bad was it?" Allison asked as the two boys approached them._

" _Could have been worse." Scott told her._

" _We have to go straight home." Stiles said, then turned to Aaron. "Do you think you could take Allison?"_

_Aaron nodded. "Yeah. We can take her."_

" _Bye." Allison said, then kissed Stiles, making everybody turn their heads away from them. Suddenly, they heard the Sheriff's voice._

" _Stiles! Scott! In the jeep! Now!"_

* * *

_Aaron dropped off Allison and it was just him and Lydia in the car._

" _So, "He began. "Tonight was...adventurous."_

_Lydia chuckled. "Yeah, I guess it was."_

" _Is it always like that with you guys?"_

 _She shrugged. "Not_ all _the time."_

_He nodded and smiled. "Look...I'm not an idiot. This is Beacon Hills. Crazy stuff happens here all the time. You guys have some kind of connection to the craziness, though. Don't you?" Lydia looked down. "Its fine if you do. You don't have to tell me what it is either, but if you do...I'm not going to judge anybody."_

_She nodded. "I'll take that into consideration." They were now in front of Lydia's house. She leaned over and kissed him goodbye. "I'll see you later."_

* * *

_The ride back home was surprisingly quiet. When they got home and to the front door, Stiles stopped his brother. "Do you think Dad told her?"_

" _No." Scott said. "He's the one who told us_ not _to tell. He wouldn't...would he?"_

_Stiles gave him a look of insecurity. "What if he told us not to tell, just so we would think that she didn't know, but then she blows up at us when we walk in?" The boys stared at each other. "Maybe, you can see if you can hear her heartbeat. If she's mad, maybe it'll be faster._

_Scott listened for a moment, hearing three heartbeats. She must have company over. "I think we're fine." He told Stiles. They opened the door and walked in._

" _Boys? Was that you?" She called._

" _Yeah, Mom." Stiles called back._

" _Come into the kitchen! I'm almost done with dinner."_

_Scott walked toward the kitchen, fully expecting to see two other people there, but it was just his mother. Scott focused his hearing once more, and realized all three heartbeats were coming from Melissa._

_She walked over to him and gave them both hugs and kisses, then stopped and gave them a strange look._

" _You smell like smoke. Have you been smoking?"_

" _What? No! We...went to a bonfire." Scott quickly lied._

" _Oh. Okay." Melissa easily believed him and she turned back around._

_Scott couldn't hide his smile. Not because he'd just lied to his mother and gotten away with it, but because he realized he was hearing his siblings' heartbeats for the first time. And he officially kind of loved that sound._


	14. Sleeping Beauty and a Time Lord

Lydia had another restless night of sleep. It was really starting to become extremely frustrating not being able to sleep through the night without the fear that she would end up dead on the side of the road.

She reached for her phone. She purposefully turned it on silent and hadn't looked at it for quite some time in hopes that she'd be able to sleep better. (It hadn't helped.)

"What the hell?" She muttered as she realized she'd had 12 missed calls, 7 unheard voice messages, and 15 unread text messages. She clicked on the missed calls. The first two were from Allison's father, Chris. There were four from Stiles, three from Scott, one from her mother, and two from Kira.

She quickly went to her voicemails and began to listen.

"Hey, Lydia. It's Chris Argent, Allison's father." Lydia knew who he was. "I was just wondering if you've heard from Allison? Please let me know if you have." Next message. "Lydia, it's Stiles. Look I know you don't like me too much right now, but can you please answer your phone? It's important." Next message. "Hey, Lydia. It's Scott. Stiles thought that maybe you were ignoring him, so he had me call. Can you please call someone so we know you're okay?" Next message. Stiles again. "Lydia! Jesus Christ! Would you please call me back! For the love of God! I'm freaking out." Next message. "Lydia, it's Mom. I just checked on you so I know you're okay, but please call your friends." Next. Stiles. "Hey," He sounded a lot calmer. "So, your mom just called and said you were asleep so that explains why you weren't answering your phone. But please...Lyd, please call me back. I need you. _We_ need you." Last message. "It's Kira...The boys just thought I would have better luck at reaching you, but it turns out I don't...so... just...when you get a chance...call one of us back."

Lydia didn't even look at her texts, knowing they would just be more of what she heard in the voicemails. She was still upset with Stiles, and even though Scott wasn't at the top of of the list of people she liked the most right now, he was still her leader.

"Hello?" Scott answered.

"Hey, what's going on? I woke up with a ton of voicemails and text messages."

"Is that Lydia?" She heard Stiles ask in the background. Scott didn't answer his brother verbally, but she assumed he nodded.

"Did you hear from Allison at all?"

Lydia's heart began to beat slightly faster. "No. Why? What happened?"

Scott took a deep breath. "She's missing."

"What?!"

"Chris went to her room today and he found her phone and a note that said not to look for her." He sighed and lowered his voice. "She took Dominic with her."

Lydia's first thought was of Stiles. "How's Stiles?"

"He's...I don't think he's processing it well. He thinks it's his fault that she left."

"Why would she leave?" Lydia wondered out loud. "We only have two months left of school. She could have just waited."

"Which is why we're thinking that maybe she didn't have a choice."

"Do you think she was taken?"

"I don't know. Either that or maybe she felt threatened. We're keeping all of our options opened."

"What about Isaac?"

"He's still here. Doesn't know anything. We were hoping you did. Even if it was a supernatural feeling..."

Lydia shook her head before remembering she was on the phone. "No. I wish I did."

"Well...if you hear anything. Let us know. We'll do the same."

"Yeah, okay. Bye." She hung up with Scott quickly, before running to the bathroom. She barely made it to the toilet before emptying the contents of her stomach. God, what had she eaten that didn't agree with her? Or maybe it was all this craziness with Peter being their substitute and fighting (but not fighting) with Stiles giving her an nervous stomach. Maybe she'd caught another virus. Maybe what Stiles said...Lydia chuckled to herself. No. That wasn't possible.

* * *

Lydia had heard nothing new from anybody for the rest of the day, and then there was another restless night. She got up on Sunday and immediately checked her phone. Still nothing new. She briefly wondered if Allison's disappearance had anything to do with their teacher's death. Were the two connected at all?

She felt tired for most of the day and just sort of lazed around the house. It was nearing 10:00 pm when she heard a car pull into the driveway. She looked out the window, but didn't recognize the vehicle. Although, she did recognize the boy that stumbled out of the backseat.

Lydia sighed and went downstairs to get to the door before he knocked or rang the doorbell. She swung the front door open and Stiles was leaned against the door frame.

"Lydia?" He asked with a confused look.

She crossed her arms over her chest. "What are you doing here, Stiles?"

He looked around, clearly trying to figure out where 'here' was. Then he sighed. "Oh God..."He groaned and let his head fall against the door frame with a _thump_. "I'm sorry, I'll go." He turned around and swayed on his feet before grabbing onto the porch railing. "Whoa." He said and chuckled slightly.

Lydia sighed. "Come inside."

He turned to face her. "Are you sure?" His words slurred. Lydia nodded and pushed the door open wider so he could come inside. "Thanks." He mumbled with a smile. "I was hanging out with some of the guys. I may have had a few drinks." He began to tell her.

"And you told them you couldn't go home," She began as she closed the door behind him. "And they brought you here, because the last time you 'hung out with the guys'" She used air quotes. "We were seeing each other." She crossed her arms again.

He smiled "Yeah!" Then his smiled faded. "Well, no." Lydia raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean 'no'?"

"I've hung out with them since we started fighting." He shrugged. "They just always take me here, and I normally called Scott or Ali to pick me up."

She saw the look of sadness in his eyes. "Why didn't you just tell them to stop bringing you here?" She asked as she dropped her arms once more.

"Because then I'd have to tell them we were fighting and that wasn't something I was willing to accept." Lydia bit her lip, and Stiles seemed to subconsciously thread their fingers together. "I miss you." He said quietly. "I'm trying not to be mad. I don't want to be mad. I'm _not_ mad like 95% of the time." He sighed. "The past two days have been terrible. I mean..Allison's gone. She took Nic." His voice broke as he continued, "But when you didn't answer your phone, I thought you'd gone with her. And I was more worried about losing you than her."

"Stiles-"

"No, let me...let me say this. I probably won't remember telling you this in the morning, but it doesn't change what I feel."

"What you feel?" She asked, heart hammering in her chest. What was he doing?

"Lydia..."He seemed like he was going to say something, but instead, he tilted his head forward and kissed her lips. She was shocked at first, but then her brain starting registering what was happening. She put her hand on his chest and gave him a small push.

"I can't." she whispered to him, as he rested his forehead on hers.

"I'm sorry. That was stupid. That was so stupid, I'm so sorry." He rambled.

"No, it's okay." She told him. "You're upset."

He sighed. "That doesn't mean I haven't been wanting to do that for a long time."

There was a knock on the front door and they both looked at each other in confusion before Lydia opened it.

"Surprise!"

"Aiden?!" Lydia said in shock. Aiden walked in and scooped Lydia up in his arms and kissed her. "Wh-what are you doing here?" She asked as he released her.

"Spring break!" He finally noticed Stiles. "Oh, hey Stiles. What's up?"

Stiles saluted. "I'm just gonna go." He said and turned toward the door, tripping over his feet. He would have fallen on his face had Aiden not been there to grab him.

"No," Lydia told him. "I'll grab some blankets. You can sleep on the couch. You know if you go home like that, your dad's going to kill you."

He sighed. "Okay."

Lydia walked away and Aiden smiled. "So, did I miss anything?"

"Let's see...Allison and I broke up because I found out she's been cheating on me for two months, now she's missing. Lydia and I are talking to each other... or not, we're not sure. Our biology teacher died in the middle of class and now Peter's our substitute. And Lydia's been sleepwalking. So...nope. Didn't miss a thing."

* * *

Lydia felt comfortable enough to fall asleep that night. When she woke up with arms wrapped around her, holding her close, she assumed it was Aiden until she realized she was in the living room -laying on the couch- and those arms belonged to Stiles. After her minor freak out over where she was, she quickly looked at the time, fearing that she had over-slept.

Fortunately, she still had about 45 minutes before she would normally wake up. She carefully pulled herself away from Stiles and went to start a pot of coffee knowing he would definitely need it.

Stiles awoke later, vaguely remembering something about kissing Lydia the night before. He swore he must have been dreaming, until he opened his eyes and realized he was on Lydia's couch. And God! Could the sun _be_ any brighter?! He quickly shielded his eyes then sensed it get darker. He opened his eyes again and saw Lydia standing in front of him as she blocked the sun with her body. "Morning." she said softly and placed a mug onto the coffee table. "I made you some coffee." He slowly sat up and eagerly drank the hot liquid, not even bothering to flavor it in anyway.

"Um.." He said slowly after taking a long sip. "Did I...Did I kiss you last night?" He asked her.

Lydia opened her mouth to reply, but she was interrupted by Aiden's booming voice. "Good morning, Sleeping Beauty. Rise and shine!" Stiles cringed, knowing he was doing it on purpose.

"What time is it?" Stiles asked.

"Almost time to leave for school." Lydia told him. "Oh by the way, Scott texted earlier. I told him you were crashing here."

"Did you tell him I was highly intoxicated?"

"Not in so many words, but I think he'll figure it out."

Lydia walked over and kissed Aiden as Stiles tried to finish the rest of his coffee. She tried not to think about how she ended up on the couch this morning when she knew fully well that she fell asleep on her bed with Aiden.

"What am I going to do all day?" Aiden asked her, and Lydia shrugged.

"I think you'll figure something out." She smiled, then turned to Stiles. "Come on, Stiles. It's my turn to drive you to school." He followed Lydia out to her car as the sun nearly blinded him the whole way there. "Here." Lydia said, as she opened the glove box once they were inside. She pulled out a pair of sunglasses and a bottle of Tylenol.

"You're a lifesaver." He mumbled as he put the sunglasses on and downed several pills before Lydia could hand him the bottle of water she had in her backseat.

"Jesus!" She exclaimed as she stupidly held the bottle out to him.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures." He told her. She shook her head and started the car. They got to the end of the street before Lydia licked her lips and sighed.

"Yes." She said then looked over to him quickly. She could barely see his wrinkled forehead from behind the large, rhinestone-covered frames of her sunglasses he was wearing.

"Am I so hungover that I don't remember asking a question?"

She chuckled lightly. "You asked before Aiden walked in. You asked me if you kissed me, the answer is yes."

He groaned. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay." She told him. "You apologized last night too."

"Maybe I was just getting you back for kissing me while you were sleepwalking the other day." He joked. They both smiled, but neither reached their eyes.

"Speaking of sleepwalking..."Lydia began. "Do you remember me coming into the living room last night at all?"

Stiles shook his head. "I barely remember the kiss to be honest. Why?"

"It's just..." She took a deep breath. "I woke up on the couch with you this morning."

"Oh..."

'Yeah...I mean...obviously nothing happened, but I was just curious if you knew why. I mean...anytime I actually go to sleep I end up next to you." She laughed, but then realize how true that statement was. "Oh my God...I always end up with you. That's...that's weird right?"

Stiles shrugged. He didn't know what to say. "Maybe it's just coincidence?"

"Maybe." Lydia sighed. The rest of the car ride was quiet.

When they got to the school, they walked in together, but separated once they were inside. Lydia was standing at her locker when Scott walked up to her.

"Hey, so...is everything okay with you and Stiles?"

Lydia shrugged. "I guess." She bit her lip as she thought about their conversation the night before... and the kiss... and how she ended up next to him this morning...

"Did..." Scott began as he raised an eyebrow. "Did something happen between you two?"

"No!" She said quickly. "Nothing happened. Aiden came over last night."

Scott's eyes narrowed in confusion for a moment, before grabbing Lydia's wrist. "Come here." He told her before dragging her away. She barely had time to close her locker. He led her into an empty classroom.

"What are you doing?!" Lydia yelped once he closed the door.

"Sh!" She quieted her. He stared for a moment.

"Okay, you're starting to freak me out."

Scott sighed. "Okay...um...I don't know how to say this, so I'm just going to tell you. I'm..." He took a deep breath. "I'm hearing two heartbeats coming from you."

Lydia laughed. "Well, maybe I'm a time lord."

"No." Scott said, clearly not finding the humor. Lydia's smile faded. "One's normal...one is a lot faster...I've heard something like it before...when my mom was pregnant."

Lydia smiled, because if she didn't she would probably cry. "Are you trying to say I'm pregnant?" Scott didn't reply. "Because that sounds like a sick joke." She took a deep breath as she fought back tears. "I'll have you know that there is _no_ way, that could be true, because in case you don't remember from health class, you have to have sex in order to get pregnant and _believe me_ it's been awhile."

"I'm sorry...but...there's definitely another heartbeat."

She shook her head. "I don't believe you." She pushed past him and stopped at the door when she heard his voice.

"I won't tell anyone, but if I can hear it...any wolf can."

Any wolf like Aiden. Lydia opened the door and ran out of the room, suddenly feeling sick to her stomach.

Stiles saw her run past him, then looked back to see Scott coming out from where Lydia just was. He sighed before following her. She went into the bathroom and Stiles took a deep breath before cracking the door. "Boy coming in." There were no other girls in there, for which he was very relieved. He found Lydia huddled over the toilet, apparently not having enough time to lock the door behind her.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"Just peachy." She told him. "Hanging out with my new best friend, Mr. Porcelain. We've been seeing a lot of each other lately."

"I'm sure it's just nerves." He said calmly as he sat down next to her.

"That's what I thought too...until Scott..."

"What did he do?"

"Nothing." She told him. "He just told me that he thinks...that he..." She took a deep breath. "He said he heard a second heartbeat." She sniffled. "From me." She clarified. "Which is crazy because the last person I had sex with was you...and that was like...two years ago."

Stiles was trying to process too many things at once, and the thought that made it out was,"You mean...you and Aiden...'

She shook her head. "No. It just never felt right."

Stiles nodded, but then seemed to realize what she was telling him. "Wait, so Scott thinks that you're-"

"Pregnant." She nodded. "Yeah, but Stiles... if I am...I don't know how." She sobbed.

"Hey," He whispered, and grabbed her hand in his. "It's okay."

She shook her head. "No, it's not. You need to know something. I-" The bell rang suddenly and Kira walked into the bathroom.

"Oh! There you guys are! Class is starting. Time to go!"


	15. Flashback 1.8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***Trigger Warning: I'm putting a small trigger warning on this chapter due to non-consensual kissing which leads to discussion of rape.

_On Monday, Scott and Stiles got to school and they could already hear the buzzing about the fire in the gym._

" _It's so weird." Allison said as she and Lydia walked up to the boys. "Everybody's talking about it, but nobody knows it was us."_

" _Thank you protection of minors." Lydia sighed. "Oh..guys... I should probably tell you...Aaron kind of knows...things."_

" _Things?" Stiles asked. "What kind of things?"_

" _Well... he knows that the supernatural exists and he's pretty sure we're apart of it."_

" _Well what did you say?" Allison asked her._

_She shrugged. "I didn't know what to say. I neither confirmed nor denied." Allison and Stiles both pinched the bridge of their nose. "Guys, I'm a terrible liar. You know this."_

_Scott suddenly slammed his locker door shut and walked away. Stiles and Allison looked up and the three of them watched him walk away._

" _Is he okay?" Allison asked._

" _Tonight's a full moon." Stiles sighed. "He's been like this all morning. I really hate full-moon Scott. He's kind of an ass."_

* * *

_When they walked into practice at the end of the day, Stiles saw Aaron for the first time since Friday._

" _Hey, Aaron..." He began slowly. "Uh..how are you?"_

_Aaron wrinkled his forehead in confusion. "Okay?" He said slowly._

_Stiles gave a quick a nod. "Good...I was just...making sure...you know...after Friday...that was...scary."_

_Aaron nodded slowly. "It's fine, Stiles. Not a big deal." He walked away and Stiles released a breath he didn't realize he was holding._

" _Okay, listen up." Coach announced and Stiles looked up as he leaned against the closest locker. "Due to an outbreak of pink eye- Thank you, Greenberg- the following players have made first line on a probationary basis. Taylor, Rodriguez, and Lahey." Stiles looked over at Lahey...Isaac was his first name. The two of them never really talked. Isaac was more of the quiet type. "Also, your captain, Aaron, has decided to step down from his leadership role." Stiles's head whipped to Aaron, who just shrugged at him. "So, effective immediately, we're switching to co-captains. McCall and Stilinski."_

_Stiles's jerked his head back toward Coach. "What?!" He didn't mean to say it as loudly as it came out._

" _Do you have a problem with that, Stilinski?" Coach asked._

" _No! I just...that's kind of unexpected."_

" _I think the two of you work well together. It's like you have some kind of bond or something."_

" _Well, maybe it has to do with the fact that we're brothers." Stiles shrugged._

" _Brothers? You have different last names."_

" _Well, technically we're step-brothers."_

" _Since when?!" Coach was acting as if he never knew this._

" _Um.." Stiles looked around to see if any of the other guys were confused._

_Danny spoke up, "Their parents got married like 8 years ago. It was the Sheriff's wedding. Half of us were there."_

" _Eight years?" He questioned, and thought about it. "Huh..that must have been while I was in rehab." He muttered. "Anyway, Stilinski #1 and Stilinski #2-"_

" _It's still McCall, Coach." Scott spoke up, a bite to his tone._

" _Fine. Stilinski and McCall, congratulations and good luck."_

_Players came up to congratulate Stiles, while he was trying to get to Aaron. By the time he was finished saying his thank yous, Aaron was already out of the locker room. When he got out of the room, Allison and Lydia were walking up to him. Suddenly, he just couldn't hold the news in._

" _Coach made me and Scott co-captains!"_

" _What?!" Allison squealed. "That's great!" She threw her arms around him and gave him a congratulatory kiss._

" _That's great, Stiles!" Lydia smiled, "But, what about Aaron?"_

_Stiles shrugged. "I thought maybe you would know. Apparently he told Coach he was stepping down." He suddenly realized there were no other guys standing around and he was the last one there. "I've got to get out on the field. Are you guys staying for practice?"_

" _I am." Lydia told him. "Allison has to go though."_

_Allison shrugged. "Dad and Aunt Kate are having people over, so I need to make sure Nic isn't getting into any trouble."_

" _Okay, well I'll see you later." He kissed her quickly before running outside._

_Lydia and Allison said goodbye before going off in separate directions._

_As Lydia walked outside she didn't see Aaron at first._

" _Hey, Lydia, can I talk to you for a second?" Scott asked from next to her._

_She looked over at him with a jump. He'd sort of sneaked up on her. "Yeah, sure." She nodded and followed him under the bleachers. "What's up?" She asked._

" _I just wanted to thank you."_

" _For what?"_

" _The Molotov Cocktail." He told her. "I mean, I can't believe I was planning on going out there without some sort of weapon. It may not have worked like we'd planned, but it at least made a distraction long enough to get us out of there. So, for that, I'm grateful." He was inching closer and closer._

" _It's no problem." She said, shakily as she took a step back. He grabbed her waist firmly and pulled her into him. "Sc-Scott? What are you doing?" She asked as she tried to unsuccessfully wriggle herself free._

" _I just want to show you how grateful I am." Before she had time to process what he was doing, his mouth was on hers. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see him like this._

" _Stop!" She yelled and balled her hands into fists and beat on his chest as she tried to push him away. "Scott, get off of me!" Tears began to burn behind her closed eyes._

_Suddenly, Scott had let her go and she stumbled backward._

" _What the hell is your problem?!"_

_It was Stiles. He'd pushed Scott and was now standing between the werewolf and Lydia. Scott turned back to Stiles, teeth bared. Stiles took a step back and put his arm out to keep Lydia behind him. Scott raised his clawed hand, as if he was about to hit Stiles across the face, but Stiles stood his ground and Scott seemed to realize what he was doing all of a sudden._

" _Stiles? Lydia? Oh my God.. I'm so sorry. I'm so-" He took a step toward Lydia, and she took a diagonal step away from him and closer to Stiles._

_Scott looked from Lydia's fearful expression, to Stiles's pissed off one, then turned on his heels and ran off. Stiles turned back to Lydia. "Are you o-"_

_Lydia threw her arms around him and buried her face in his chest as she finally began to cry. He wrapped his arms around her and held her._

" _I know it wasn't him." She sobbed. "But I hate him, Stiles."_

" _I know." Stiles whispered. "I kind of hate him too."_

" _I think," Lydia began as she pulled away from him several moments later. "I think I'm just going to go home."_

" _Let me walk you to your car."_

" _What about practice? What's Coach going to think if both of his co-captains leave on the first day of being co-captains?"_

" _I don't care about that. I care that you feel safe." He grabbed her hand and led her out from under the bleachers and had her sit on the front row, then walked over to Coach._

" _Stilinski! Get out there."_

" _Coach, actually, a family emergency came up and Scott and I both need to go."_

" _What!"_

" _I'm sorry. We wish we could stay, but we'll both be at practice tomorrow though. I'm sorry." He apologized once more, before running back toward Lydia._

" _I just remembered that I rode in with Allison." She told Stiles timidly._

" _It's fine. I already told Coach I wasn't coming back today. I wasn't going to let you drive by yourself anyway. Come on. I'll take you home."_

_Lydia followed him to the jeep, feeling numb most of the way there...mainly because she was trying her hardest to keep her mind clear. She knew the moment she let it in she would fall apart._

_They were about halfway to her house when Stiles heard her sobbing in the passenger's seat. He quietly reached his hand over to grab hers, rubbing his thumb in small circles on the back of her hand._

" _What if you hadn't showed up?" She whispered._

" _What?" He asked, as he glanced over to her._

" _I told him to stop and he didn't. If you hadn't come in...how far would he have gone?"_

_Stiles blinked a few times. He hadn't thought of that. It was Scott. Scott wouldn't...but then again..._ Scott _wouldn't have done what he did either._

" _I don't know." He told her. "I know that doesn't make you feel any better."_

" _He's my friend, Stiles...I...I never thought I'd have to worry about..."_

" _I know." He whispered._

_She had so many thoughts running through her head. Mostly she was upset because it was Scott. If it had been Greenberg...well first of all she would have been completely grossed out, but she didn't think she'd be as upset. Mostly she felt betrayed. But then she stopped thinking about the fact that it was Scott and started thinking about the fact that it happened and she couldn't do anything to stop it. Tears came back full force and she allowed herself to cry a little longer before speaking once again. "I always thought that if I was put into that situation, I'd be able to take care of myself. But his grip on me was so tight, I couldn't get free."_

_She felt Stiles's thumb on her cheek, wiping her tears away. Lydia opened her eyes, realizing they were stopped in her driveway, and she had no idea how long they'd been there._

" _You probably think this is stupid." She mumbled.._

_He shook his head defiantly. "No. It's not stupid."_

_She shook her head, not listening to him, "I mean, it was just a kiss. He didn't touch me or-"_

" _Lydia stop!" Stiles raised his voice. "Listen to me. It's not stupid. He made you feel uncomfortable. You told him to stop and he didn't. He violated your trust. You and I both know that he wasn't himself- That Scott McCall would never do that. But I wouldn't blame you if you never wanted to be alone in the same room as him ever again and I promise I will never let him make you feel that way again._

_When Lydia saw Stiles at school the next day, he was wearing a brace on his hand. "Hey! What happened to you?" She asked._

_He turned and she saw a fading scratch on his cheek and gasped._

" _Oh.. I uh...fell down the stairs." Lydia looked at him as if she didn't believe him. "In other...completely unrelated news...Scott and I had a discussion about yesterday's events...possibly around the time the moon was at it's apex... but the point of the story is that you shouldn't have to worry about it happening again." And he left it at that._


	16. Mr. Sarcastic and a Telepathic Banshee

Lydia's knee bounced up and down. She was having a hard time focusing on the test in front of her. They were finally taking the make up tests from the day that Mrs. Finch died, but at this point, she probably would have done better on _that_ day. She nibbled on her thumbnail, as she read the same question for the 5th time. No matter how many times she read it, it just wasn't making sense. Probably because she was too busy freaking out over the fact that Scott was convinced she pregnant! That was crazy...there was no way...but then again she had been sleep walking...was it possible she was having sex in her sleep too? But if that was the case, then who would she have been with? And wouldn't she have realized that something had happened? Even if she didn't remember details, she would have _known_...right?

"Miss Martin?" Peter called from his desk. "Can I see you for a moment?" He asked. As much as she wanted to tell him where to shove it, she knew she couldn't do that. She nodded slowly and flipped her test over on her desk and walked up to him.

"Yes?" She asked as she chewed on her lip.

He leaned forward and whispered. "What the hell is going on with you? I can smell the anxiety on you a mile away. It's stinking up the whole room."

"I'm sorry." She apologized. "It's just been a really weird few days."

"You're telling me." He said with a quirked eyebrow. " _You_ just apologized to _me_." She took a deep breath and leaned against his desk. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head. "Can I be excused?"

"Go." He told her quickly and she ran out of the room.

* * *

When Stiles walked into the room for his class later, he saw Lydia's backpack sitting at her desk. He turned to Peter who motioned him up to the front.

"Where's Lydia?" Stiles demanded to know.

"She asked to be excused."

Stiles forehead wrinkled in confusion. "She... _asked_."

"I know. Freaked me out too. What's going on?"

Stiles sighed. "Allison is missing. I suppose you wouldn't know anything about that?"

He shook his head. "I had no idea...Was she taken?"

Stiles shrugged. "We're not sure. It kind of looks like she ran away. Took Dominic with her."

"How are you holding up?" He asked.

Stiles was caught off guard. "Um..I'm...I'm okay...thanks?"

"I'm trying to be more involved in my students' lives. What do you think?"

"Well... it's weird." He said with fake enthusiasm.

Peter nodded. "Noted." Lydia walked back into the room, and Peter called her over. "Miss Martin? Did you want to try to take that exam again with this class?"

Lydia's bottom lip began to quiver and Stiles shot Peter a look. Peter was turning white. "I just..." Lydia started, choking on a sob. "I just have a lot going on right now. My best friend is missing, I'm forgetting things and sleepwalking. I mean..I can't sleep because I'm afraid that I'll walk into traffic! Do you know what that's like to not be able to sleep because you're afraid you're going to die?!"

"Uhh..." Peter started, then looked to Stiles. "No... I uh... I can't say that I do."

"I'm just so tired, and I can't stop crying. And did I mention my best friend is missing?"

"You did." Peter nodded, wishing to God that he'd never started this conversation to begin with.

"Because she is! She's gone and she hasn't spoken to anybody and I don't know if she's okay, and then Scott thinks I'm pregnant! Which is insane because I haven't had sex in two years!" Stiles eyes widened and he looked around the room. Luckily there were only a few people in the class. "And you know who that was with? Him!" she pointed at Stiles.

"Whoa!" he said as he looked down at her finger. "Keep me out of this." He turned back to the few people in the class who were all giggling. "Um, just to be clear. I had sex last week...so..."

"So," She continued. " _Mr. Pasternak_. Do you _think_ I'm okay enough to take a test right now?!"

Peter gulped and cleared his throat. "Mr. Stilinski, can you make sure Miss Martin gets home alright?"

"What about _my_ test?"

"The two of you can make it up later." Then he lowered his voice. "Just get her home."

Lydia grabbed her bag, and snapped at the kid next to her. "What are you looking at, Greenberg?" She picked up her test off of her desk then slammed it onto Peter's. Stiles followed Lydia out of the room and Peter sighed.

"That's what I get for trying to be more involved."

* * *

Lydia stomped out to the parking lot, finally whipping her head around. "Why the hell are you following me?!"

Stiles stopped. "Because Peter told me to."

She scoffed. "Since when do you listen to Peter?"

"Since he's literally been given the power to keep us from graduating." She rolled her eyes and Stiles sighed. "And, I mean...I didn't think you'd want to be alone."

She shook her head. "I won't be alone, Aiden's at my house..." A look of realization passed on her face. "Oh my God, Aiden's at my house. I can't go home! What if he hears...what _ever_ it is that Scott heard?" Stiles shrugged, not sure what she wanted him to say. "Can we go to your house?"

"Yeah, I guess."

She pulled her keys out and held them out. "Can you please drive?"

"Sure." He nodded and she tossed them to him.

"I just," She began to explain. "I can't think right now."

"No, I get it." He told her. They got into the car and she sat with her chin resting against her fist, her elbow propped up on the door, as she stared out the window.

She was quiet for several minutes before finally breaking her silence. "Do you think we could stop at the store?"

"Why? Do you need like groceries or something?" Lydia turned to him with a glare, but realized he was being completely serious. She wasn't sure if that made her feel better or worse.

" _No._ I want to prove to Scott that he's wrong."

"Oh...so you're going to get-"

"Pregnancy tests. Yes, Stiles."

"Tests?" He asked with a confused look. "With an _S_? As in plural?"

"Yes, one doesn't mean anything. I mean.. false positives are a thing, so I need multiple tests. Just to make sure." She realized how frantic she sounded, so she took a deep breath. "I mean...they're all going to be negative anyway."

"I'll wait here." He told her when they got to drug store. She came back several minutes later with a bag. "How many did you get?" He asked.

"Four." He nodded. "Shut up." She snapped.

He whipped his head around "I didn't say anything!"

"I hear your judgmental thoughts."

"Oh, telepathy...is that a new banshee power?"

"Look, Mr. Sarcastic. This is my car, I could kick you out right now."

"Oh yeah? Well have fun going back to your house and explaining to Aiden what's in the bag." Lydia didn't reply. "That's what I thought."

* * *

When they got to Stiles's house, she followed him upstairs to his room.

"You can use my bathroom." He told her.

"Thanks." She said, and disappeared into the bathroom. Stiles took a deep breath and collapsed on his bed. The medication he'd taken earlier was beginning to wear off and his headache was coming back, so he closed his eyes. He wasn't sure if he'd actually fallen asleep, but he opened his eyes again when he heard the bathroom door open.

He lifted his head to look at Lydia. "So?"

She shrugged. "I don't know yet. I have to wait." She sighed and walked over to the bed. He laid his head back against the pillow and Lydia laid down too, resting her head on his chest and curling up against him. He stiffened for a moment in shock, before he put his arm around her.

She sighed. "The sound of your heart beating is actually really comforting."

"Well thank you. My heart appreciates that. It tries every day to beat all that it can beat." She playfully swatted at his chest then they heard Lydia's phone going off.

"That's the timer." She told him, but didn't make a move to get up.

"Are you going to check it? I mean...they're going to be negative...right?"

"Logic says yes. But we live in an illogical world. Oh God...what if while I was sleeping somebody artificially inseminated me just like on _Jane the Virgin?_ "

"How about you look at the results first? Take one thing at a time."

She nodded and sat up. "Will you come in there with me?"

"Yeah." He sighed and got up too. As they walked into the bathroom, she reached for his hand to give her the support she needed. He squeezed it softly.

All four tests were positive.

Lydia sucked in a sharp breath as she stared at the tests, and slowly let go of Stiles's hand.

"Lydia?" Stiles asked after several moments of her just staring at the plastic sticks on the counter.

She began to shake her head. "This isn't real."

"Lydia..."

She continued shaking her head. "There's no way...it's...it's not possible." She covered her mouth as she let out a strangled sob. He reached his hand out to touch her shoulder, but at the contact, she immediately turned around and buried her face into Stiles's chest. He was taken slightly by surprise, and it took a few moments to register, but when he did, he wrapped his arms around her.

"How is this happening?" She whispered.

"I don't know." He told her honestly, as he stared at the tests behind her. He tried to identify the emotions he was feeling, but there were too many of them to put his finger on one.

Several minutes passed before she let go of him. She wiped her eyes before walking back into his room and sitting down on the bed. Stiles leaned against the door frame and watched her.

"Are you sure you don't have the _slightest_ clue who the father could be?"

"No! Like I said...the last person I _remember_ sleeping with was you and that was a long time ago." Stiles nodded slowly, wanting to make several comments, but keeping them to himself. Lydia took a few deep breaths. "This is a nightmare. I'm going to wake up in my bed and will none of this will be real." She turned back to Stiles, panic in her eyes, "God, Stiles. I'm freaking out!"

He quickly walked over to her and sat down beside her.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. Things happen for a reason, right?"

She nodded slightly, then groaned. "Oh God...What about Aiden? If I tell him, he'll know it isn't his." Stiles shrugged. "Maybe, I just won't tell him."

Stiles did a double take. "Are you serious? Lydia, have you learned nothing?"

"There's no way it's his, so what's the point in telling him?"

Stiles had to stop himself from laughing. "Oh, so if it _was_ his, you would tell him? That's progress I guess."

She sighed. "That's not what-"

"No, I get it."

"No you don't." She whispered. Stiles didn't reply. He just looked down. She took a deep breath after a few moments of silence between the two of them. "I should probably make a list of things to do. One being actually scheduling a doctor's appointment. Then there's figuring out how to tell people or _what_ to tell people. Then...I guess I'll go from there." She sighed again. "Can you not tell anyone anything?"

"What is it with you and secrets?"

"Stiles-"

"I won't tell anyone... but I think you should."

"Let me figure it out first."

"You mean, let you take care of it first, and then tell everybody in a year?"

"Stiles!"

"I'm sorry!" He yelled. "I'm not mad." He said as if he was trying to convince himself.

She took a deep breath. "I-" Suddenly Stiles's phone began to ring. He pulled it out and looked at Lydia.

"It's Scott. What should I say?"

"Just tell him you took me home." She said. Stiles nodded and stood.

"I'm going to answer it in the hall." He told her. She nodded and he walked out of the room. "Hey." He spoke into the phone.

"Hey, where are you?"

"I took Lydia home. She wasn't in any condition to drive." He decided to pretend he didn't know what happened. If she didn't want him to tell anybody, then he may as well commit and pretend he just didn't know anything. "She was really upset about something."

Scott sighed. "Yeah, that may have been partly my fault."

"What did you do?"

"Uh…" Scott stammered. "Nothing. I just… I said something…that she needed to know, but didn't want to hear."

"Huh…something about me?"

"No…at least… I don't think so." Stiles nodded, even though he knew Scott couldn't see him. "So," He began, changing the subject. "Are you coming back to school today?"

"Probably not." He answered nonchalantly, but then decided to elaborate. "I drove her in her car. My Jeep is…somewhere else. I'm going to have to get it later."

"Okay. I'll make sure to get your homework."

"Thanks."

"Bye."

Stiles hung up the phone, proud that Scott didn't go blabbing Lydia's secret the first chance he got. He walked back into the room and was about to say something when he saw that Lydia's eyes were closed.

"Are you asleep?" He whispered. No response. "I'll take that as a yes." He mumbled, then walked into the bathroom. He was met with the four positive pregnancy tests. Several thoughts ran through his brain, and he began to feel all of those emotions again.

Finally, he was able to distinguish the strongest one. He felt scared. And it wasn't that he felt scared for _Lydia._ He felt scared for _himself_. A feeling of anxiousness in the pit of his stomach. It was how he should feel if this was his baby too. _But it's not,_ he told himself. _There's absolutely no way._

So, then why did he feel like this? Why did he feel like this was his responsibility? Several answers popped into his head, but he couldn't reason with any of them.


	17. Flashback 1.9

  _Lydia was on her way to class when she heard Scott call her name. His voice sent a chill up her spine._

_She whirled around and saw him walking toward her and she put a hand up to stop him. "Can you please not?" He halted about ten feet away from her._

" _I just want to say I was sor-"_

" _I know... and I know you weren't yourself, but I can't be around you right now. So... just let me walk away."_

_He nodded slowly and she turned back around and continued down the hall. When he walked into the locker room, Stiles took one look at him and shook his head._

" _She didn't want to hear you out. Did she?" Scott shook his head. "And who was right?" Stiles asked._

" _You were." Scott mumbled, then did a double take. "Are you actually dressing out?"_

" _Yeah...why not?"_

" _Well, you have a sprained wrist."_

_Stiles looked down at his wrist with an over-exaggerated expression of shock. "Holy shit! How long has that been there?!" Scott rolled his eyes. "God, I wonder whose fault_ **that** _was."_

_Scott shrugged. "A convincing case could be made for both of us."_

" _In answer to your question, I'm going to attempt to do what I can. If I sit out of practice again, I'll have to worry about even playing in the game, much less being co-captain." He sighed and mumbled, "Especially when the whole thing was the other co-captain's fault."_

" _Who confronts a werewolf on a full moon?" Scott asked in a harsh whisper._

" _Someone whose best friend was basically assaulted by said werewolf, and who just so happens to be said werewolf's brother and thinks 'Oh, I'm his brother. He won't kill me.' And to be fair...I'm still alive." He gave a half shrug._

" _Well, in my defense..." Stiles raised an eyebrow at Scott. "You shoved me first."_

" _Into a wall!_ You _shoved_ me _down a flight of stairs!" Stiles slammed his locker door, and began to walk away._

_Scott sighed and yelled after him, "I said I was sorry!"_

* * *

_When Scott and Stiles got home, their parents were sitting in the living room._

" _Stiles," his father addressed him. "We wanted to talk to you about something."_

_Stiles sighed. "We told you we were just horse-playing and it got out of hand," He looked down at his wrist and chuckled. "No pun intended."_

_Melissa shook her head. "That's not what we wanted to talk to you about." Stiles noted their serious tones and exchanged a look with Scott._

" _Okay..."He said slowly and dropped his bag as he sat down._

" _I'm just... going to my room." Scott said when their parents gave him a look that said this had nothing to do with him. Stiles knew he'd be listening in anyway._

" _So..." Stiles started slowly. "What's going on?"_

_Melissa spoke up. "I saw Allison last night." Stiles made a face in confusion. "When we were at the Emergency Room while you were getting your arm X-Rayed." She clarified. Stiles widened his eyes. She wasn't at school today and he had texted her earlier, but didn't get a response._

" _Was she okay?"He asked, a hint of panic rising in his voice._

" _Oh, she's fine. She wasn't the patient." Melissa took a deep breath to calm herself. "Her_ **son** _was."_

_Stiles mouthed, "Oh..." Then asked, "Is Dominic okay?"_

" _He was getting stitches." Melissa told him before his dad continued the conversation._

" _Son, why didn't you tell us your girlfriend had a child?"_

_Stiles shrugged. "I don't know...why should it matter?"_

" _Because you're sixteen!" Melissa's voice went up an octave, so she took a deep breath before continuing. "You're too young to be thinking about kids."_

" _Allison is his mom, it's up to her to decide what's best for him."_

" _But what about what's best for you?" His father asked. "What if you get attached to him? Or what if he gets attached to you...what if he starts calling you dad? What are you going to tell him?"_

_Stiles was at a loss for words. "I...I don't know... I guess I'd figure it out if it happened."_

_His dad sighed. "There's just a lot to think about when it comes to taking on another person's child as your own. Take it from us, we've both had to do it."_

" _Stiles, don't you remember you started calling me 'mom' before your dad and I were even engaged? And yes, that made me feel wonderful, but then I had to think about what would happen if it didn't work out between us. I was worried about how much you would be hurt."_

" _We just want to make sure you know what you're getting into."_

" _When a child is involved, there's a huge responsibility for both people. Yes, it's up to Allison to decide how much time you all spend together, but it's also up to you to decide how to handle certain situations and keep in mind that if you guys last, you're going to be a step-father. Is that something that you want?"_

" _I don't know."_

" _Sweetie," Melissa began again. "We just want you to be informed and think about things that you may not have thought about before."_

" _If we were having this talk because you had gotten her pregnant, I'd be telling you to man-up-that you had a responsibility to your child; but Dominic isn't_ **your** _child. If you stay with Allison, you're choosing to take responsibility for him, and I just want to make sure you know what you're doing. But if things end badly I don't want to see you get hurt."_

" _Okay." He nodded. "Are we done?"_

_The Sheriff sighed. "Yeah. We're done." Stiles stood up and was turning toward the stairs when he saw his mom make a pained expression out of the corner of his eye. He turned back and raised an eyebrow at her, but she seemed to have recovered._

" _Are you okay?" He asked. She looked up in surprise, not realizing she'd been caught. The Sheriff quickly looked over at her and then back at Stiles._

" _What happened?" He asked._

" _She looked like something was wrong."_

" _I'm fine." She tried, before taking a sharp breath._

" _Scott!" Stiles yelled, and Scott was downstairs in a flash._

" _I'm fine, boys... rea-AH!"_

_Stiles looked at Scott and the brothers had a silent conversation._

" _I think you should go to the hospital, Mom." Scott told her._

" _I agree." The Sheriff said as he stood up. "It may be nothing, but on the off chance it's something..."_

" _I'll call Aubrey and let her know what's going on." Stiles offered, already pulling out his phone._

_Melissa didn't even attempt to protest because she knew she would lose. The parents headed to the hospital and urged the boys to stay put, letting them know they would call with any updates._

_Stiles hung up with Aubrey after telling her what happened (and that Kayce may need to stay there a little bit longer) then looked at Scott, silently asking him what was wrong._

_He sighed. "Their heartbeats weren't as fast as what they have been. It worried me."_

_Stiles nodded. "I... I need to call Allison."_

" _I heard what they were talking to you about." Stiles nodded. "What are you going to do?"_

_He shrugged. "I don't know. I mean... I really like her, Scott. And Dominic is awesome..I just... I didn't think about what that meant... you know?" Scott nodded and Stiles sighed._

* * *

_Stiles had called Allison but she didn't answer and he was beginning to wonder what was going on. The Sheriff called Scott later to let him know that Melissa had been admitted to the hospital, but mostly as a precautionary measure, and if the boys wanted to come down they could. On the way to the hospital, Scott called Aubrey to let her know and she was going to meet them there with Kayce._

_There could only be two people in the room at a time, and the Sheriff was not leaving her side, so Scott went in while Stiles stayed in the waiting room until Aubrey got there. He continued to try to text and call Allison but wasn't getting a response._

_He sighed and looked up as he saw a familiar face coming down the hall. He stood quickly._

" _What the hell are you doing here?" He spat._

" _Scott texted me." Derek replied._

" _Why would he text you?"_

" _You'd have to ask him that."_

" _Yeah, well_ **I** _don't want you here, so you should go."_

_Derek chuckled. "Well, you weren't the one who asked me here. I'm staying because Scott is in my pack."_

" _No, he's not."_

" _You keep telling yourself that." Derek sighed. "But if it makes you feel better...I've got somebody else here to visit. I'll leave and come back when you're not here and you can pretend you never saw me."_

" _I'd prefer if you didn't come back at all."_

_Derek let out a laugh and just walked away. Stiles realized his fists were clenched at his side, so he took a few deep breaths and unclenched and clenched them again to stretch them out._

" _Stiles?" He felt his heart speed up slightly at her voice._

_He turned to see the brunette coming down the hall, and all of a sudden the past few days hit him all at once. Tears filled his eyes as he walked toward her._

" _Allison, thank God!" He wrapped his arms around her tightly and she returned the gesture._

" _Is your mom alright?"_

" _I think so." He told her and pulled away. "I haven't seen her yet. Why haven't you answered my calls? What happened to Nic?"_

" _Nic is the reason I haven't answered your calls, but he's fine. My dad had some hunter friends over and one of them was stupid enough to let my two year-old son touch a knife. He had to get stitches in his hand and I've been so focused on taking care of him today. I've just kept my phone on silent all day long and I finally checked it right after I put him to bed." She looked down at his hand that was wrapped in a brace. "Your mom said you were getting your wrist X-rayed. What happened?"_

" _Ehh...I got into a fight with Scott. Last night. During the full moon."_

" _Stiles! What were you thinking?"_

" _I wasn't!" He admitted, then recounted the story about Scott and Lydia and how he'd ended up on the ground at the bottom of a staircase._

_Allison sighed. "That was stupid. But noble. I can only hope that you would do the same thing if it were me."_

" _Of course I would." He reached up to stroke her cheek, and he suddenly knew. "And if Nic were in trouble...I'd fight a hundred werewolves for either of you." He pulled back slowly. "Um...you should know... I never brought up the fact that you were a mom to my parents, and they found out last night, so they sat me down for a talk today."_

" _They want you to break up with me." She said with a sad realization._

" _Not necessarily... they just want me to be sure about what I'm getting into."_

" _And are you? Sure.. I mean."_

" _Absolutely."_

" _If you become less sure... just tell me..okay?"_

_He nodded. "I promise."_

" _Stiles, you can-" Scott began as he came around the corner. "Oh, hey, Allison."_

" _Hi, Scott."_

" _We have a problem." They heard and Stiles groaned._

" _I thought you weren't coming back." Stiles said as he turned back to Derek._

" _Yeah, well my uncle's missing."_

" _Missing?" Allison asked._

" _Yeah, he's a patient here."_

" _Well. Maybe he just went to get food or something." Scott suggested._

" _Yeah, except for the fact that he's been comatose for six years."_

" _Does that mean-" Allison began before Derek cut her off._

" _He's the Alpha."_

_Suddenly the emergency room doors burst open and the paramedics began wheeling someone in on a gurney._

_Scott focused his hearing to figure out if he could make out the name of the patient._

_It was Mr. Harris._


	18. Breaking Up and Making Up

Lydia was back in the passenger's seat of her own car. She looked over at Stiles for the umpteenth time since they got in. Stiles opened and closed his mouth (again for the umpteenth time) and she finally snapped.

 

"What?!"

He did a double take to her and, in genuine confusion asked, "What?"

"You haven't said a word since I woke up. You've just been communicating in grunts and groans and hums. And then there's the whole 'acting-like-you-want-to-say-something-but-then-deciding-against-it thing, so just _say it_! It can't be any worse than things you've already said to me."

"I just... I was thinking about stuff...I just don't know how you'll respond to what I'm going to say...that's why I kept stopping myself."

"Well, just tell me. Like I said, whatever you have to say I've probably heard worse...also from you."

He let out a small laugh at the truthfulness of that statement., then took a deep breath. "I wanted to say that...you've got me...as a friend...if you want... Through this whole thing...I'll go to your first appointment..if you don't want to see this through, I'll drive you to a clinic. If you want to give it up for adoption, I'll help you find the perfect family, I'll go to Lamaze class, and to the store at 3 am if you just really want waffles. I'll be there in the delivery room. If you want to keep it, I'll help there too. I'll look at schools with you...I'll be the one it goes to when you get too overbearing. I mean... I've got a lot of experience with kids... there's Nic, and my siblings. I just... I want you to know that no matter what happens you've got me. I...I won't go anywhere. Not again. You're...You're my best friend, Lyd, and I-"

She leaned over and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, stopping him mid-sentence. He felt a blush creeping into his cheeks. She seemed to realize what she'd done almost as soon as she did it. "I'm so sorry." She began apologizing, her face turning red out of embarrassment.

He laughed. "It's fine...I guess it's just pay back for the kiss I gave you when I was drunk that I barely remember."

"Yeah..that's it." She smiled.

Stiles stopped the car and looked at the blue jeep in front of him. "So, here's my stop. I guess you're going back home now."

"Yeah…and seeing Aiden." She sighed.

"Are you going to tell him, or just let him figure it out?"

Lydia shrugged. "I haven't decided yet." Stiles nodded slowly. Lydia took a deep breath. "You wanting to help out…that doesn't have anything to do with…"

Stiles waited for her to finish her sentence. "With…?"

"With not being there last time?"

Stiles inhaled sharply, then exhaled slowly. "I don't know. I don't think so. It just… it feels like the right thing to do. I can't explain it."

Lydia nodded. "I get it."

"You do?" He asked, a hint of shock in his voice.

"Yeah…I do." She bit her lip.

Silence settled over the car for several moments before Stiles finally cleared his throat. "I guess I'll get going. Text me if you need anything."

He opened the door and got out of the car, and Lydia did the same. She walked around her car to get to the driver's side as Stiles walked to his. She put her hand on the handle then stopped.

"Stiles?"

He turned around to look at her. "Yeah?"

She sighed. "Thank you...for everything."

* * *

"Hey! Welcome home! How was school?" Aiden asked as soon as Lydia walked inside.

"Wow...how bored were you?" she asked, chuckling at his eagerness.

"Incredibly. I thought you only had one class. I was expecting you home hours ago."

"Oh yeah...I...I waited for Stiles so we could get his jeep."

"Yeah, what's up with him?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, the last time I was here, you guys couldn't be in the same room as each other and this time, he's at your house drunk. And he mentioned something about you sleepwalking."

"He did?"

"Yeah, so what's going on? Why did he know this and not me?"

Lydia sighed. "Because he's the one who keeps waking me up." Aiden cocked his head as he waited for Lydia to continue. "The night of Allison's party-"

"Her mother's Death Day Party?"

"That one...Allison sent Stiles to pick me up. Neither one of us were too happy about it, but on the way to Allison's house, I led Stiles to the nemeton, and things have been really weird since then."

"What happened at the nemeton?"

"Nothing...at least...I don't think anything happened... but then later that night, Scott took me home and I went to sleep. When I woke up, I was standing in Allison's kitchen, holding a piece of glass and Stiles had my wrist in his hand." Lydia took a deep breath. "That was when things got a little better between us. But I..." Lydia pulled out her phone to search for the picture Allison sent her. "I carved something into Allison's counter." She finally found it and showed it to Aiden. "It's a Japanese kanji that means memory. We talked to Noshiko about it, but ever since then..." She shook her head as she took her phone back. "I keep forgetting things and every time I actually fall asleep I wake up with Stiles _right there._ "

Aiden huffed. "Why _Stiles_?"

Lydia shrugged. "I don't know. I wish I could tell you. It's not a conscious decision."

Aiden began to walk off, but Lydia followed him "So, this morning...when I woke up and you weren't there," He stopped and turned around. "Were you with Stiles?"

Lydia stopped dead in her tracks, "W-what?"

"You just told me every time you fall asleep you end up with him. So, what you're saying is when you woke up this morning you were with him which is why you weren't with me. Right?" Lydia opened and closed her mouth, before Aiden scoffed and continued up the stairs to Lydia's room. "So, when I asked you this morning where you were and you told me you'd woken up early, you lied."

"I didn't lie!"She said quickly as she ran up the stairs after him, feeling tears prickle behind her eyes. "I did wake up early."

"Just not with me?" Lydia didn't say anything and Aiden stopped at the top of the stairs and turned to look at her and she still stayed quiet. "Answer me!" He yelled, making her jump. "Did you wake up next to me or next to _him_."

Her bottom lip quivered, as she whispered, "Him."

Aiden nodded slowly, then grabbed her face and kissed her roughly. Tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks, but she didn't kiss him back.

"Does that still make you feel something?" He asked as he pulled away. "Did it _ever_ make you feel _any_ thing?" Lydia sniffed and sobbed, but didn't answer him. His voice broke as he finally asked, "Did you ever love me the way you love him?"

Lydia bit her lip, staring into Aiden's glassy eyes, as she blinked the tears out of hers. Slowly she shook her 'no.' He let out a breath and nodded slowly. He walked into her room and she collapsed against the wall, sobbing. He came back out with his suitcase and Lydia didn't move or say anything. She heard him go down the stairs and then the front door opened and closed. And just like that he was gone.

* * *

Stiles was laying on his bed when he heard a knock at his door.

"Come in."

The door opened and Scott poked his head in. "Is it cool if I come in?"

Stiles raised an eyebrow and sat up. "I just said _come in_. So…yeah...remember? _I_ lock the door."

"Oh right." Scott said as he took a step inside his brother's room. "So, how's Lydia?"

Stiles shrugged. "She's okay."

"Is she…feeling better?"

Stiles gave his brother a small smile. "I know what you said to her in the classroom."

Scott let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. "Oh thank God! That's like a huge secret that I didn't think I could keep from you."

The comment made Stiles feel a little guilty, but it passed quickly. "Yeah…"

"So…you were right."

"When?" He asked confused.

"When you asked if she was pregnant…I mean…except you said _again_."

"Scott-"

"Why won't you just say it and get it off your chest. Otherwise I'm just taking what bits and pieces you've said and coming up with theories that are probably worse than what actually happened."

"God, Scott!" Stiles yelled in frustration as he stood up. "Why is it that you and I can't have a normal conversation lately without you needing to know every little detail of my life?" He marched past his brother and nearly ran into the Sheriff.

"Hey, what's wrong?" He dad asked.

"It's Scott. He won't stop pestering me about what happened between me and Lydia."

"Speaking of Lydia…" Stiles cocked his head and his father motioned with his to the stairs.

Lydia was standing in the middle of his living room with her arms wrapped around her waist.

"Lyd?" He questioned. She looked up and he could tell she had been crying. "What happened?"

Lydia sniffled. "Aiden left."

"Was it because he heard-"

She shook her head. "And I didn't tell him either. He just…" She didn't know what to say, so she decided on a half-truth. "He didn't like us spending so much time together. And he didn't like that I didn't tell him about sleepwalking before."

Stiles groaned. "Did I tell him about it last night?"

"It's fine."

"No, it's not. This is just like when you told Allison about us. I got pissed at you then, so let me fix it-"

"No!" Lydia said quickly. "It's fine. Really...I mean… It won't mean much once he finds out so…it's better this way."

Stiles nodded, then wrapped her in a hug. "I'm sorry. I know it still sucks."

She buried her face into his chest and put her arms around him.

"Stiles I-" Scott stopped, and Lydia and Stiles both looked up at him. "Oh, hey Lydia."

Lydia felt Stiles tense up. "Hey Scott." She looked up at Stiles. "Stiles, can we go for a walk?"

He looked back at her, his expression softening slightly. "Yeah."

Lydia grabbed Stiles's hand and led him outside.

"So?" She began. "What happened with Scott now?"

"The same thing that's been happening with Scott for the past couple of weeks. I don't know what it is that all of a sudden makes it so important that he needs to know what happened."

"Maybe he figures a year is long enough."

" _Is_ a year long enough?"

Lydia looked down at her feet. "If you want to tell him…"

"The thing is…I don't. I don't want to tell him. It's none of his business, but I don't think he'll stop asking if I don't."

Lydia realized she was still holding his hand, and let it go so that she could link her arm through his.

"Tell him." She whispered.

"What?" He asked, obviously being caught off guard.

"Tell Scott. You need to tell him. I can still tell you're upset about it, so maybe talking about it with your brother will help."

Stiles was quiet for a moment before he asked, "Who did you talk about it with? I mean… it wasn't me."

"Um…Aubrey actually."

"Aubrey knows?"

"Not about you. She was just someone to talk to about it." They were quiet for a moment, before Lydia said, "If you're going to tell Scott…there's something you should..." Lydia stopped mid-sentence and gasped as she looked up in front of her.

"What is it?" Stiles asked her.

"Do you see him?" She asked, never moving her eyes.

Stiles followed her gaze. "The guy in the overcoat?" Lydia nodded. "What about him?"

"That's the guy I saw the other night in the woods."

Stiles let go of Lydia's arm and began to walk toward the man. "Hey!" He called out.

"Stiles! Watch out!" Lydia yelled. Stiles stopped just in time before a car passed in front of him. When the car moved, the man was gone.

"Where did he go?" Stiles asked.

"I don't know." She told him. "Come on." She said grabbing his upper arm and giving a small tug. "Let's go back to the house."


	19. Flashback 1.10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, as an FYI, this is the last flashback chapter that I already have written. I have one more present day chapter, and then all that spoiling I've been doing by posting a chapter like every day is going to stop. Just, be prepared. Also, I think that I'm going to take a break from posting this story until after Christmas. I'm going to try to write a lot more and not post it, so then afterward I have a lot of chapters ready to go. Plus, I've really been wanting to write a Christmas fic. I have a couple of ideas, but if there's anything you'd like to see, let me know!

" _It was Peter." Derek muttered. "He did this. I was going to track the alpha tonight, but then I got your text."_

" _Who texted you?" Scott asked. Derek turned to look at him._

" _You did."_

" _Well, this isn't good." Stiles rolled his eyes._

 _Scott gave his brother a look, then creased his forehead and looked up._ " _Kayce and Aubrey." He coughed._

" _We're here." Aubrey announced as she neared the group._

" _Is mommy okay?" Kayce asked her brothers._

" _She's fine." Scott told his sister. "She really wants to see you."_

" _I'll take her back there." Aubrey said then turned to go down the hall._

" _Oh, Aubrey," Stiles began, "Just so you know, they're limiting visitors to two people and dad's not leaving."_

" _Oh," Aubrey began, a confident smile forming on her lips. "They'll let all three of us in.. Trust me." She gave a wink and turned back to the hall._

_Stiles puckered his lips as if he was trying to figure something out. "You know...she kind of scares me."_

* * *

" _Why am I just now hearing about this?!" Lydia yelled as she and Stiles walked into the hallway the next day._

" _Which part? The part about Mom being in the hospital or the part where Peter is the alpha?"_

" _Both!"_

" _Well, I'm telling you now."_

" _And who sent Derek that text? And how did_ they _know about your mom?"_

_Stiles shrugged "We haven't figured it out yet."_

" _Have you told your dad? I mean, what if the reason they knew Melissa was in the hospital was because they're the ones who put her there. She needs extra security."_

_Stiles rolled his eyes. "Derek's there."_

" _Derek? You're trusting_ Derek _?"_

"I'm _not. But Scott is, and I know that Derek wants the alpha caught so he's not going to let anything happen to my mom. Plus, Dad isn't going anywhere."_

_Lydia gave a frustrated sigh. "Hey," Stiles put a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be fine."_

" _Maybe_ I _should go to the hospital."_

_Stiles tried really hard not to laugh. "Um... why?" He asked slowly._

_Lydia narrowed her eyes. "What are you saying?"_

" _I'm not saying anything." He said slowly. "I just... want to know how you think you'll be helpful if an alpha werewolf is after my mother. No offense, Lydia, but there's not much you can do to stop it...there's not much_ I _can do to stop it either."_

" _I just feel useless sitting at home doing nothing."_

" _You won't be sitting at home. There's a game tonight. You're cheering us on, right?"_

" _You're playing?" She asked, looking at his still-sprained wrist._

" _Well, I don't know how to tell Coach that I'm not...so yeah."_

_Lydia sighed again. "I don't know."_

_Stiles lowered his voice. "Are you still mad at Scott?" Lydia bit her lip. "You know, he really is sorry."_

_She nodded. "I know."_

" _And like I said..." He began as he held up his wrist. "I don't think you'll have to worry about it happening again." Lydia gave him a small smile. "Please come to the game, Lyd. You're my favorite cheerleader. You and my parents are the only ones who have been to all of my games, and since they're missing this one, you_ have _to be there."_

" _Fine." She said as she took a deep breath. "I'll be there. But just for you."_

" _Thank you!" He told her and gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek. "Gotta run to practice."_

" _See you later." She told him as she watched him walk away. Suddenly she heard someone clear their throat behind her. She turned around and saw Aaron standing there. "Hey, you." She smiled and gave him a peck on the lips._

" _What was that about?" He asked._

" _What was what about?"_

" _Stilinski kissing you."_

" _On the cheek? It was nothing." She told him._

" _Yeah, well... I didn't like it."_

_Lydia smiled and hit him softly. "Are you jealous?" She asked teasingly._

" _Yeah." He told her seriously, causing the smile to fall from her face. "I am. And I'd appreciate it, if he wasn't kissing my girlfriend in any capacity."_

" _Look, Aaron...he's my best friend. That's just our relationship-"_

" _Yeah...this is the guy you were making out with a couple of weeks ago at your party. You can tell me you guys never dated, It's fine... I believe you. But this makes me uncomfortable. Respect that. I mean... how would you like it if I just walked up and kissed Malia Hale on the cheek?"_

_Lydia looked down, not sure how to answer that. "I'll talk to him." She mumbled._

* * *

" _Stiles!" Scott yelled when Stiles walked into the locker room._

" _What?" He asked as headed over to his brother. Scott was pulling his phone out to show to Stiles._

" _Derek did some snooping." It was a picture of a sketch of a wolf._

" _Where did he get this?" Stiles asked._

" _Apparently it was found clutched in Harris's hand... Look familiar?"_

" _Yeah. It looks like Allison's necklace. What do you think it means?"_

" _Have you ever asked her about it?"_

" _No."_

" _Well," Scott shrugged. "Maybe it's time that you do."_


	20. Nightmares and Remembering

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this is it. I've officially caught up to where I am on fanfiction.net. From now on, both sites will be updated at the same time. Merry Christmas/Happy Holidays!

Lydia stayed for dinner and she and Stiles were tasked with washing dishes afterward. As she handed him a wet plate to dry, she asked, "Do you mind if I stayed here tonight?"

"Is your mom out of town again?"

Lydia shook her head. "No...I just...I feel safer here."

Stiles nodded slowly. "Yeah...you can stay."

He woke up in the middle of the night, realizing he'd never changed out of his clothes that day. He hadn't planned on falling asleep when he did. They were just laying on his bed watching a movie, and all of a sudden, he'd looked down and Lydia was asleep. She had gotten comfortable against him and he didn't have the heart to move her so that he could change. He'd ended up falling asleep.

She had since rolled over...maybe that's what woke him up...so he carefully climbed out of bed. That's when he heard something from downstairs. It could have been his dad or one of his siblings, but that creepy guy from earlier was plaguing his thoughts. He took a deep breath and softly opened his door and stepped out.

He crept slowly off the bottom step and was peaking around the corner when he heard Scott's voice.

"It's just me, Stiles." Stiles let out of the breath he was holding as he rounded the corner and into the kitchen. Scott had a bowl of cereal in front of him.

"Thank God." Stiles mumbled as he began thinking about something. He went to the cabinet and grabbed a glass and set it on the table. Then he went to the liquor cabinet and took out a bottle of whiskey.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked.

"Well," Stiles said as he began pouring himself a shot. "I'm not nearly drunk enough to tell you everything."

"Everything?" Scott asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes." Stiles took the shot, and made a face then began to pour himself another one. "Everything." He took the second shot. "Okay, so by now you know that Lydia and I had a...thing. We never called it dating...Thinking back, I guess we basically were... but we saw it as more like friends with benefits. We broke it off when Allison and I got back together, and promised not to tell anybody. Fast forward about a year later...about a year ago..."

" _You're being quiet." Lydia told Stiles from the passenger's seat of the jeep. He didn't respond. "Stiles, what's wron-"_

" _You told Allison." He said shortly._

" _Told Allison what?"_

" _About us! We promised we wouldn't say anything and you went and told my girlfriend!"_

" _I..." She began with confusion on her face._

" _I mean...what the hell is wrong with you?" Lydia blinked._

" _I...I thought she knew."_

" _What would make you think that?"_

" _We were talking about guys we slept with and when I didn't mention you she said she knew about us, I thought that meant-"_

" _Oh my God!" he growled in frustration. "I told her that you were my first time, and that we only did it once."_

" _Oh..." She said as she bit her lip._

" _Yeah. Oh. Now she's pissed at me because she thinks I lied to her."_

" _Well you did-"_

" _Are you fucking kidding me right now? I'm not playing around. God, why would you think it would be okay to bring that up? Are you just trying to sabotage my relationship?"_

" _You know what? Fuck you, Stiles!" Lydia snapped. "If I wanted to sabotage your relationship I would have told her that you got me pregnant!"_

_Stiles hit the brake suddenly. "What?"_

"What?!" Scott had a spoonful of cereal halfway to his mouth.

Stiles began to pour another shot. "Yep." He downed the shot.

" _Shit." She whispered as if realizing what she had just said._

" _You...you're joking..." He didn't look up, eyes fixated on his steering wheel. "Please tell me you're not fucking serious?" He stuttered, as he was flooded with emotions._

_Lydia covered her face with both of her hands. "Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit."_

" _God...Lydia, what the fuck is wrong with you?" He looked at her, as angry tears filled his eyes "Why would you keep that from me? Why would you wait until now to tell me?"_

" _I..."_

" _You...you fucking_ bitch _!" He emphasized the word by slamming his foot on the accelerator. Lydia whipped her head around to glare at him._

" _What did you say to me?"_

" _I called you a bitch. I mean who the fuck keeps something like that from someone? Or did you just not tell me because you weren't sure if it was mine?"_

" _Oh yeah, because_ I _the was the one who slept with like ten people the minute I was single..oh wait, that was you."_

" _So then what was your excuse?" Lydia didn't say anything. "You realize it's been a year since we were together? A whole fucking year! And you're just now telling me that you got pregnant?! And then what happened? Was that vacation you took with your mom a way to secretly have a baby? Do I have a kid out there somewhere?"_

" _I didn't have a baby! I had a..I had an abortion!" She yelled._

Stiles dropped his hand holding the glass onto the counter.

"Shit." Scott couldn't think of another word that described what he wanted to say.

"Yeah..." Stiles stared at the glass in his hand. "I may have paraphrased that conversation... and we got into a pretty heated argument after that which ended with her walking in the rain and me driving home. I also may have blocked some things out, but that's basically what happened. She got pregnant, had an abortion, then waited a year to tell me about it. And I think it was an accident that she told me at that. So if she'd never told Allison about us, and we didn't get into that fight then I may never have known."

"That's what Lydia meant by opening her mouth being what made everything spiral out of control. Because she told Allison." Stiles nodded. "And that's what you meant about her being able to keep a secret... because she didn't tell you about getting pregnant."

"That about sums it up."

Scott sighed. "I'm sorry. I feel like a jerk now. I can see why you didn't want to tell me."

"Just don't tell anyone else."

Scott still had so many questions, but decided his brother had told him enough for one night. His ears suddenly perked up and Stiles raised an eyebrow.

Scott looked up and made eye contact with his brother. "You may want to go check on Lydia."

By the time Stiles made it back up to his room, Lydia was screaming.

"No! Please! Stiles, please!"

"Lydia!" He said as he sat on the edge of the bed. He put his hands on her shoulders and shook her. "Lydia, wake up. You're dreaming."

Her eyes opened and she sat up quickly, throwing her arms around his neck, and he instinctively caught her.

"Shh…"He said calmly as he rubbed her back. "You're okay."

"You were dead." She sobbed. "And I couldn't do it by myself."

"I'm right here. I'm fine."

"It was so real." She told him as she pulled away from him, her hands rested on his shoulder, but slowly began sliding down the front of his shirt. He lifted his hand up to wipe away the tears that were falling down her cheeks. Her hands had fallen to his abdomen, and she looked down with a curious look on her face, then reached for the hem of his shirt.

"Whoa!" He said in surprise and grabbed her hands.

"Show me your stomach." She told him. He quirked an eyebrow, but slowly lifted his shirt up.

Lydia's eyes zeroed in on a scar in the center of his torso.

"How did you get that?" She asked him.

He looked down to see what she was talking about.

"Oh…that…I….I can't remember."

She ran her fingers over the scar, and was met with a flash of Stiles being carried inside a tent by a man. Both of them covered in blood.

"You were shot." She told him.

"What?"

"In my dream, you were shot."

"You remember your dream?"

Lydia nodded. "Vividly. I wish I could forget it." She remembered every detail. The blood, the screaming that she didn't realize was her, the arms around her trying to hold her back as she tried to make her way to him, the woman who turned to her and apologized because there was nothing she could do-because Stiles was already dead. She remembered collapsing on top of him praying he would wake up somehow, resting her head on his chest and not hearing his heartbeat. "It was so real." She repeated. "It didn't feel like a dream…it felt like a memory."

"I think I would remember getting shot." He told her, as he brushed the hair out of her face, and tucked it behind her ear.

"You'd think I'd remember getting pregnant." She said softly. She raised her hand under his shirt to his chest, feeling his heart beat beneath her fingertips. "Your heart wasn't beating." She told him, referring back to the dream.

"But it's beating now." He said, as he placed his free hand on top of hers, holding it closer to his chest. It _was_ beating. It was actually beating a little quicker than Lydia thought was normal. The dream she had began playing over again in her head and the tears came back. "Hey..." he said soothingly. His hand that he'd used to brush her hair away from her face was still resting on her cheek. He used that hand to pull her forward and softly kissed her forehead. "I'm here." He whispered as he pulled away. She raised her eyes to meet his, something about his words sounding familiar. "I'm still here." Her eyes lowered slightly, landing on his lips. She felt his heartbeat increase under her hand. They were still so close, it didn't take much effort for Lydia to close the small gap between them. Her lips met his in a soft kiss.

As Stiles was watching her, he wanted nothing more than to kiss her, but she had just broken up with her boyfriend and he had just taken three shots of whiskey- although hearing Lydia's screams had sobered him up relatively quickly. It was taking everything in him not to just grab her and kiss her. But then her lips were on his, and it was her that did it. He didn't make any movement to deepen the kiss, even though he wanted to. She was upset and looking for comfort. He wasn't going to read into it. Suddenly, it was like he was lying down, surrounded by complete darkness, a sharp pain in his abdomen. All he could hear was Lydia's voice softly repeating the same thing over and over again.

"I love you."

Stiles pulled away from her slowly. They were still sitting on his bed. "What'd you say?" He asked.

Lydia shook her head with confusion. "I didn't say anything." He realized he was still holding her hand to his chest, but he didn't want to move it.

"Is everything okay now?" They heard Scott from the door. Stiles didn't break his eye contact with Lydia when he answered.

"It's fine."

"It was just a nightmare." Lydia told him, again all while staring at Stiles.

"Alright, well I'm going to bed."

"Do you mind closing the door?" Stiles asked.

He heard the door shut, and he and Lydia never moved from their positions.

"What did you think I said?" Lydia asked him.

Stiles shook his head. "It's not important."

"But...your heart skipped a beat right before you pulled away. I felt it."

"It did?" He asked. She nodded. He thought for a moment, seeming like he was going to answer her when he looked away. "I was just hearing things."

Lydia finally took the time to assess what he was wearing. "You never changed clothes." She noted.

"Yeah, you fell asleep on me, and I didn't want to wake you up...so..." Stiles stopped when he noticed Lydia started crying again. "Oh, hey...is this about the dream again?"

She shook her head. "No, this is about hormones." She laughed in spite of herself, but then seemed to only want to cry harder.

"Look, take a deep breath. Calm down."

She covered her face with both of her hands, and his chest suddenly felt cold. "Stop being nice to me you're making it worse."

Stiles stifled a laugh. "Okay, well I'm going to change clothes."

When he took his shirt off, he saw his torso in the reflection of his mirror. He hadn't put much thought into the scar. It had never surprised him. It was as if he knew deep down it was something he'd have probably for the rest of his life, but it wasn't until Lydia said something that he really began to think about it. He didn't remember seeing it before they went to the nemeton... before Allison's party.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

He turned to face her.

"Why don't I remember getting this scar?" She only gave a look that repeated her earlier thoughts. Why didn't she remember getting pregnant? "Maybe you're not the only one forgetting things." He grabbed the shirt he'd just taken off and put it back on. "Come on."

"Where are we going?"

"Where this all started. The nemeton."


	21. Flashback 1.11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone had a nice holiday season! Here's the next chapter!

 

" _Hey, Ali." Stiles addressed his girlfriend in the hall._

" _You know," Allison said as she gave him a kiss. "I'm not sure when you started calling me that, but I really like it when it comes from you."_

" _Well, good." He smiled, then took a breath. "Look, question...Scott got this text from Derek." Stiles showed Allison the picture of her necklace._

" _What is this?" She asked._

" _The piece of paper was clutched in Harris's hand. We don't know what it means, only that it looks-"_

" _Exactly like my necklace."_

" _Yeah." He nodded._

" _Well, I don't know what Harris would need with it... I just know what it means to our family. It's an old heirloom. Before me, it belonged to my aunt. There's nothing special about it."_

" _Huh." Stiles took the phone back and looked at the picture again._

" _What? What is that look?" Allison pressed._

" _Nothing." He shook his head._

" _Stiles," Allison grabbed his non-sprained wrist to stop him from walking away. "Tell me what you're thinking."_

" _Well..." Stiles began slowly. "I'm only saying this because you asked me to," He said, slapping a disclaimer on what he was about to tell her. "And this just me spit-balling here, but we know that Peter is the alpha. What if the drawing of the necklace was meant for Peter, not Harris."_

" _Well, what would Peter want with my necklace?"_

" _What if it has something to do with the fire?"_

" _But it was nowhere near here when the fire happened."_

" _I'm not saying it was you." Stiles told her slowly._

_Allison seemed to slowly realize what he meant. "Aunt Kate."_

" _Is it...possible that she..."_

" _Had something to do with the fire?"_

" _I'm not saying-"_

" _Yes."_

" _-that she...wait...what?"_

" _I absolutely think that she may be hiding something. But if Peter has seen that picture, then that means he may be after her as well."_

" _Well, that's if he knows who the necklace belongs to. I'm more worried that he'll come after you."_

" _Here," she said as she unclasped the chain and handed it over. "Take it."_

" _What?" He asked._

_She grabbed his hand and forced it open before making him take the necklace. "You keep it. Hide it...destroy it. Whatever you need to do."_

_Stiles nodded slowly before shoving the necklace in his pocket._

* * *

 

_Lydia tapped her foot nervously as she waited for Stiles to come out of the locker room. When he finally emerged, he didn't see her._

" _Stiles!" She called him._

_He whipped his head around to her. "Oh, hey...Lydia...can this wait? I really have to pee."_

" _I just..." She began, biting her lip._

_His forehead wrinkled in concern. "Hey, is something wrong?"_

" _No! I mean...maybe...It's nothing...go."_

" _No," He began shaking his head. "Whatever it is, just-"_

" _Go! It can wait."_

_She could see the internal struggle. Part of him wanting to stay there and hear her out, but the other part knowing that his bladder may explode if he waited too much longer._

" _Fine!" he finally said, "But I'm coming right back to find you."_

_Lydia nodded, but as soon as he had disappeared into the bathroom, she lost the courage she'd had and walked away._

" _Did you tell him?" Aaron asked when Lydia almost ran into him._

" _Hm?"_

" _I just saw you talking to Stiles. Did you talk to him about..."_

" _Oh...yeah. He's totally fine. It won't happen again."_

" _Good." He smiled and kissed her sweetly. "I've got to go get ready."_

" _Bye!" She told him. As soon as he had walked away, she released the huge breath she had been holding in. What was wrong with her? Why didn't she just say she hadn't talked to Stiles yet? She shook her head as she silently scolded herself, then began to calm down. She would talk to him eventually. It would be fine._

* * *

 

_Lydia left school and went to the hospital. She knew what Stiles said, but she still wanted to check on Melissa. When she got to her room, Melissa was sitting on the edge of the bed and the sheriff was getting a wheelchair ready._

" _Are you leaving?" Lydia asked and the two adults looked up at her._

" _Soon, hopefully." Melissa told her. "Unfortunately, I've been put on bed rest."_

" _Well, that just means the boys will have to wait on you hand and foot." Lydia smiled._

" _I wish that's what that meant. I hardly see them as it is." She said sadly, and shot her husband a look. She was obviously including the Sheriff in that statement._

_Lydia looked over her shoulder. She thought that she would have seen Derek by now, but she hadn't._

" _Looking for someone?" Noah asked._

" _What?" She asked, before replaying his question in her head. "Oh...no..I...have you seen a guy around here? Dark hair about this tall.." She waved her hand in the air to demonstrate his height._

" _You mean Derek Hale?" He asked._

" _Oh...yeah..." Lydia felt stupid...of course the sheriff knew who Derek was._

" _Last time I saw him he was having a pretty heated conversation with some guy. They were getting kind of loud so I went over to find out if I could help and they walked outside."_

" _When was this?"_

" _About an hour ago. Why do you ask?"_

_Lydia cocked her head. "I don't know..."She shook her head and smiled at Melissa. "I'm glad you're getting out of here soon. Let me know if the boys are blowing you off and I'll try to visit. Or talk some sense into them..one of the two."_

" _Thank you, Lydia." Melissa smiled gratefully. Lydia waved goodbye and left the room, pulling out her phone. She tried calling Stiles first, but didn't get an answer, then she called Scott. No answer from him either. It was about time she headed back to the school for the game, so she would just have to catch them then. Something wasn't right._

* * *

 

_Stiles was sitting on the bench with the rest of the team as they waited for the game to start._

" _Stiles!" He heard from behind him. He'd heard it before, but thought he was just hearing things, but that time it was definitely someone calling his name. He turned to see Lydia waving at him._

_He looked over at Coach and back at Lydia, before making his way over to her._

" _What's going on?" He asked her. "And where did you go earlier? What did you want to tell me?"_

" _Not important. I've called you like five times!"_

" _My phone has been in my locker since practice."_

_Lydia nodded in understanding. "I was at the hospital-"_

" _Is my mom okay?"_

" _She's fine. She was going home and they were putting her on bed rest, but that's not the point. Derek wasn't there."_

" _Where was he?"_

" _I don't know. But your dad said he left the hospital with a guy after having an argument." She took a deep breath. "I have a really bad feeling about this."_

" _Hey," He said, grabbing her hand comfortingly. "It'll be okay. We'll figure it out."_

_A whistle blew and Stiles jerked his hand away. "Good luck." She told him, as he put his helmet on and ran onto field._

_Lydia surveyed the field, just catching sight of Aaron. And he looked pissed as he put his helmet on._

" _Oh, fuck." She whispered._

* * *

 

_Lydia was on the edge of her seat. The Cyclones were down by a few goals, but they shouldn't have been. Aaron was purposefully not passing the ball to Stiles when he was wide open. Lydia could see Stiles getting upset, and she was wringing her hands in concern._

" _What the hell is wrong with my son?" Lydia heard from behind her. She turned to see Aubrey sitting there._

" _That may be my fault." Lydia said. Aubrey raised her eyebrow but didn't ask her to explain. Lydia wasn't sure where she would even start if she did._

_Aaron failed to pass again, and the other team ended up gaining possession of the ball- stealing it right out from underneath him. Scott was able to stop the thief and ended the play. Stiles's helmet came off and Lydia could see the anger fuming off of him from her spot in the stands._

" _What the hell, Gardner?!" Stiles began to yell as he made his way toward the former captain. "Pass me the damn-"_

" _Shit!" Lydia jumped as Aaron's fist came down onto Stiles's face. She hadn't even noticed his gloves come off._

" _That's it!" Aubrey yelled and stood up, as the ref kicked Aaron off the field. The team rushed over to Stiles who was on the ground holding what looked like his forehead, but she couldn't be certain from here. Before she knew it, she was running onto the field and Aubrey was dragging Aaron out by his ear._

" _Stiles?" She called as she neared the huddle of players._

" _Hey, Missy," Coach began, grabbing her arm and pulling her back. "What are you doing out here, get back up to the stands."_

" _But that was my boyfriend." She told him._

" _Stilinski's your boyfriend?"_

" _What? No!_ **Aaron's** _my boyfriend. And Stiles is my best friend. I just need to make sure he's alright." Coach sighed, as he nodded toward the pack of boys._

_Lydia moved her way inside._

" _Stiles?" She asked._

" _Lydia?" He groaned. He was still laying on the ground. But Lydia discovered he wasn't holding his forehead. He was holding his eye. His left eye. He peeked at her with his right one. "There are two of you."_

" _Well, that can't be good." She mumbled to him._

" _No...I mean one is bad enough." He smiled. Jokes. That had always been his go-to move. Make jokes to get through the pain._

" _Let me see it." She told him. He slowly moved his hand._

" _It's bad. Right?" Stiles heard Coach ask._

" _It hurts like a bitch." He mumbled, but honestly, he wasn't sure if anyone heard him._

" _Stiles! Look at me." He heard Lydia again and tried to focus on her face._

" _How is he?" He heard Aubrey's voice._

" _Great! I'm going to be down two players." Coach's words were the last he heard before blacking out._

* * *

 

" _Alright," Lydia said as she walked back into Stiles's living room with a bag of frozen peas. "Let me see it." Stiles moved his hand to reveal the nasty bruise that was forming around his eye. "Jeez…between my boyfriend and your brother it'll be a miracle if you make it out of sophomore year alive."_

" _Ha. Ha." He laughed sarcastically. Lydia sat in front of him and held the cold bag to his temple. "So," Stiles began. "Why are you here?"_

_Lydia sighed. "Because it's my fault."_

" _Did you tell him to hit me?"_

" _No." She smiled. She knew he was trying to make her laugh. "He saw you kiss my cheek earlier and he…expressed concerns about it… so I told him I would talk to you."_

" _But you never said anything."_

" _I know. I tried…that's what I was going to tell you earlier. But then I saw him right after that and he had seen me talking to you, and I got nervous and told him I'd already said something to you about it. So…I guess when we were talking at the game earlier, he saw something that he didn't like."_

_Stiles sighed. "So, what… I'm not allowed to touch you anymore?"_

_Lydia shrugged. "I don't know…"_

" _I mean…our relationship has always been physical." He realized what he said and gave a small laugh. "That wasn't what I meant."_

" _I know what you meant." She smiled and sighed. "I think that's why I didn't want to tell you. I don't want to have to change the way I act around you."_

" _Well, I don't want to get hit again. So… I'm going to just be more careful about how I act around you in public."_

" _While we're at it…" She began slowly blushing. "We probably shouldn't mention what happened the day my dad left… you know…between us? At least not for a while. Until it's not a big deal to everybody else."_

_He nodded. "Agreed… you know…because of the not-wanting-to-get-hit-again thing."_

* * *

 

" _Have you heard from Derek?!" Malia practically pounced on Scott the minute he walked out of the school. He stuck around to finish the game while Lydia drove Stiles back to their house. Scott was taking the jeep home._

_Scott jumped at her sudden appearance and took a few deep breaths to calm himself back down. "No. I haven't. According to Lydia he left the hospital after talking to_ **some guy** _."_

" _Peter." She stated angrily._

" _We don't know that for sure." Scott reasoned as he continued walking to the jeep._

" **You** _may not know that for sure, but_ **I** _do. It's him. And if I know Peter, and I do, he's gonna show up at the dance tomorrow."_

" _How could you possibly know that?" He'd made it to the jeep and threw his bag in the backseat._

" _Because he's going to come looking for us."_

_Scott closed the door and turned to look at her. "Wait...I'm confused. Is he going to the dance_ **because** _we're there, or because he_ **thinks** _we're there?"_

" _What does it matter?"_

" _It matters because there are going to be a lot of innocent people at that dance. If he knows where we are, then we should just lead him out of town."_

" _Look, the winter formal is the most crowded place we could be tomorrow night. The most casualties. What would happen if he showed up and we_ **weren't** _there? Wouldn't you rather be there than not?"_

_Scott sighed. She had a point._

* * *

 

_Scott walked through the front door and saw Stiles sitting on the couch with the television on and a bag of peas on his face._

" _Hey," Scott said as he closed the door. "Is Lydia still here?"_

" _No, she left about ten minutes ago."_

_Scott nodded. "So, how bad is it?"_

_Stiles moved the bag and shot his brother a glare. Or maybe it wasn't a glare. Maybe that was just his face now._

" _Oh, shit!" Scott exclaimed, but then quickly tried to back pedal. "I mean… it's not_ that _bad. It could be worse."_

" _I'm sure." Stiles replaced the bag and turned back to the television._

_Scott sat down next to his brother. "So, what'd you do to make Aaron punch you like that?"_

" _Apparently I did something to his girlfriend that he deemed inappropriate."_

" _What was it?"_

" _I don't know. Breathed next to her I guess." Scott chuckled and Stiles cracked a smile. "You know…it doesn't hurt as much anymore."_

" _Really? That's good."_

" _Yeah… now it only hurts when I cough…or sneeze…or laugh…or move… but as long as I'm sitting perfectly still the pain is as a 9.5 instead of a 10."_

_Scott shook his head. "So…Malia and I are going to the winter formal together."_

" _What?!" Stiles whipped his head around. "Oh, mother of God!" He winced at the pain._

_Scott couldn't help but laugh at his brother's reaction. "It's not like that…She thinks Peter is going to be there."_

" _Well, that can't be good."_

" _No. Not really."_

_They were quiet for another moment before Scott stood up._

" _Come on." He told his brother. "We should go to bed."_

" _Yeah...I thought about that like 20 minutes ago, but I couldn't get up."_

" _Pansy." Scott chuckled and held his hand out for Stiles to grab. The moment Stiles made contact with Scott's hand, the werewolf immediately jerked it away._

" _What the hell just happened?" Stiles asked with wide eyes. He'd felt something too._

" _I don't know. Are you okay?"_

" _Yeah..." He said with confusion, then clenched and unclenched his fist of his sprained wrist. "Actually... my wrist feels better, and my eye doesn't hurt as much either."_

_Scott looked down at his hand where he swore just a few seconds ago he'd seen the veins go black. They were back to normal now._

" _I want to try something." He said and reached for his brother's hand again. He grasped it, feeling a dull ache radiating from his hand and into his arm. Stiles sat there bewildered._

" _Are you taking my pain?" Stiles finally asked._

" _I think so." Scott let go and looked back at his brother. "How's that?"_

_Stiles blinked a few times. "It's fine. It doesn't even hurt at all now. I didn't know you could do that."_

_Scott shook his head. "I didn't either."_


	22. Guppies and Chicken

Lydia was stumbling through the woods behind Stiles as they headed in the direction of the nemeton.

"What exactly do you think we're going to find here?" She asked him.

Stiles batted a branch out of the way, and ducked under another one. "I don't know. I just know that this is where it started, so there has to be something here. Right?"

Lydia sighed. "Not necessarily."

"Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence, Lyd."

"My lack of faith is not in you, it's the nemeton." She assured him as she dodged a branch. Stiles stopped suddenly, and Lydia ran into him. He reached his arm out behind him and she grabbed it to steady herself. "Why'd you stop?"

Stiles sighed. "Because I think we're lost."

She let go and stepped out from behind him. "What makes you think that?"

"Because that's the branch I broke about ten minutes back." He told her as he pointed to the snapped twig.

"I knew we should have grabbed Scott." She grumbled.

"Look, I-" He began but Lydia quickly shushed him.

"Do you hear that?" She asked. He shook his head. She took a few steps away from him and looked around, listening to an imaginary sound. "This is it."

"What do you mean?"

"This is where the nemeton is, I can feel it."

"Then why can't we see it?"

She shook her head. "I don't know." Stiles began looking around for anything that would give them some clue. Lydia stayed in one spot as she silently listened to whatever she needed to know. "Something happened here." She said finally.

"Lots of things happened here." Stiles said with a roll of his eyes.

"It was something important." She continued. "I just... I can't put my finger on it."

Stiles turned back to look at her. She was standing in the center of some trees, a hand on her stomach. She was looking around her as she absentmindedly rubbed small circles with her thumb right above her navel. He took a moment to admire how beautiful she looked. She was in his clothes still and the waning moon was still bright enough that it was lighting her perfectly. Her eyes finally met his and she gave him a sympathetic smile.

He took a deep breath and sighed. "You were right there's nothing here."

She shook her head. "No, there's something here... it's just not something we're going to find tonight."

"Today." He corrected. She raised an eyebrow. "It's like 4 am."

Her hand fell as her eyes widened. "Are you telling me we have to wake up in an hour and half for school?"

He shrugged. "We could skip?" She paused to think about his offer. "Maybe you could get a doctor's appointment."

"We'll see." She said with a yawn. "Right now, sleep is what I want."

* * *

When they got back to Stiles's room, Lydia immediately crawled into bed and Stiles began to change clothes again. He slipped out of his jeans and took his shirt off then went for his sweatpants. He was reaching for a shirt when Lydia spoke up.

"Can you leave your shirt off?" He turned around to look at her with a raised brow. She blushed slightly. "It's just...that scar...it's weirdly... comforting."

"Comforting..." He said the word over again, then shrugged. "I thought you were going to say sexy." He walked back to the bed and Lydia giggled.

"It's just..." She began as he laid down on his side facing her. "It's the first thing that's triggered a memory..." She reached out to run her fingers along the scar once more. "Even if it was a dream. It makes me believe that I'm not completely losing my mind."

"You're not losing your mind." he told her, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. Lydia raised her eyes to meet his.

"Thank you." She bit her lip and snuggled close to him; her hand on his scar, and her head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head as sleep overcame them.

* * *

When Stiles woke up, he didn't think twice about the fact that Lydia was still snuggled next to him. He reached for his phone, careful not to move too much and realized that it was almost noon.

"What time is it?" He heard Lydia mumble.

"11:54."

"Shit." She swore as she struggled to untangle herself from Stiles and make it to the bathroom.

He followed her in when he heard the retching.

"You okay?" He asked when she reached up to flush the toilet.

She groaned. "This is by far my least favorite part about being pregnant."

"Was there a favorite part?" He wasn't asking because he wanted to know. It was more of a sarcastic remark, but Lydia tilted her head to the side in deep thought.

"The guppies." She said.

"What?" He asked, completely thrown off.

Lydia looked up, obviously not having meant to say that out loud. "Oh..um...when...when the baby first starts to move it's not very big. It sort of feels like guppies swimming around."

"Do you...do you feel the guppies now?"

Lydia shook her head. "No, it's still too early." She told him, then thought about her answer, and with a shrug, she added, "Or maybe it's not... I mean...who knows? Maybe I should schedule that doctor's appointment."

He nodded. "Yeah."

"Do you mind handing me my phone? I don't know if I can stand up right now." Stiles nodded again and walked back into his room and picked up her phone from the bedside table. _3 missed calls_ appeared on the screen.

"Looks like someone is trying to get a hold of you." He said as he handed her phone back to her.

She took a look and sighed. "It's my mom."

"Are you going to call her back?" He asked.

Lydia shook her head. "No. She's going to ask why I'm not in school and I don't really have an answer for that yet." She sighed. "I'm just going to text her to let her know that I'm alive and I'll talk to her later." She tapped on her phone for a bit, then she was putting it to her ear. "Hi, this is Lydia Martin. I wanted to schedule an appointment for today if possible." She waited for a response and then looked up at Stiles. "3:15?" Stiles nodded. "Sounds perfect."

She was answering a few patient questions and Stiles stepped out of the bathroom and changed back into his jeans. He grabbed a shirt out of his dresser, then sat on the edge of his bed. A nervous excitement buzzed in his belly, and he wasn't sure why.

 _This isn't your kid, Stiles._ The logical part of his brain told him. _This isn't a redo. This isn't about you._

Lydia came out of the bathroom and leaned against the door frame.

"You look pensive."

He barely heard her through his thoughts. "What?" He asked as he looked up at her.

"Wow...you must have been thinking really hard about something."

"Oh...no...just...trying to figure out what to do for lunch."

Lydia was silent for a moment. "Chicken."

"What?" He asked nervously. "I'm..I'm not a chicken."

"What?" Lydia asked, all of a sudden extremely confused. "I'm not _calling_ you a chicken, I'm saying we should _eat_ chicken-why would you think I was calling you a chicken?"

"No reason." He said quickly. "So, chicken?"

Lydia nodded, then asked. "Would you think I was utterly disgusting if I stayed in this?" Referring to the clothes she was wearing. Stiles's clothes.

"No?" He said slowly.

"Good. Because I don't want to change. And also, I think you should give me all of your clothes."

Stiles let out a laugh. "Why?"

"Because! Your clothes are a whole lot more comfortable than mine. My clothes make me feel all..." She tried using hand gestures to describe the feeling, "Squished." Stiles chuckled. "God, I basically lived in your lacrosse hoodie last time." She said it without thinking, and an awkward silence settled around them.

Stiles wanted to say something, but remembered that they were friends again and he wasn't going to bring up any bad feelings. Instead, he quirked and eyebrow. "You still have my lacrosse hoodie?"

She blushed slightly. "Maybe."

"I've been looking for that things for two years!"

"Sorry." She shrugged.

He just smiled and shook his head. "Come on. Let's go get lunch."


	23. Flashback 1.12

_Lydia pulled up to Aaron's house and took a deep breath before climbing out of the car. She wasn't sure how this conversation was going to go._

_Mostly, she saw it going badly._

_Aubrey came to the door when Lydia knocked._

_Before the woman had a chance to say anything, Lydia spoke up. "I know he's probably in a lot of trouble and on normal circumstances you probably wouldn't allow him to see anyone, but I really need to talk to him."_

_Aubrey sighed. "He's in his room. You've got ten minutes."_

_Lydia nodded quickly and Aubrey stepped to the side to let the girl in. She'd only been here once before, but it wasn't very difficult to find his room. The door was closed so she knocked._

" _What?!" He yelled when he opened the door. He looked like he regretted the way he answered the door for a moment, but then decided to stand by it. "What do you want, Lydia?"_

" _I wanted to talk to you." She said quietly. "I didn't…I hadn't talked to Stiles yet when you asked me earlier."_

_He scoffed. "Of course."_

" _I don't know why I told you that I had. When you saw us talking I was about to tell him, but he was in a hurry. When you asked, I figured that I'd have time to talk to him later and it wouldn't be a big deal."_

" _But you were talking to him at the game. You couldn't tell him then?"_

_She shook her head. "There was something else that was more important." She almost immediately regretted her choice of words._

" _More important?"_

" _Aaron-"_

" _More important than just the one little thing I asked you do?"_

" _Yes." She told him confidently enough that he looked slightly taken aback._

_He stared at her, and she bit the inside of her lip in an effort to maintain her stance. After a few moments, he nodded._

" _Okay."_

_It was Lydia's turn to be shocked. "Okay?"_

" _Yep. Okay."_

_Lydia shifted on her feet._

" _Okay…" She said again, and began to turn around._

" _You know what I think?" There was an edge to his voice that made Lydia feel defensive. She turned back to him, ready to stand her ground. "I don't think you want to tell him." She opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off. "I'm not saying you were lying before, about telling him something important. I'm just saying that I think you like the attention you get from him, and you would put off telling him for as long as you can."_

" _I talked to him tonight."_

_He shrugged. "Because he wanted to know why he got hit, right?"_

_Lydia didn't know what to say. He wasn't wrong. She took a deep breath as she gathered her thoughts._

" _The difference between Stiles kissing me on the cheek and you kissing Malia Hale on the cheek," She began, bringing up the scenario he had before. "Is that I've known Stiles our entire lives. Our moms were best friends, and he's always been the one person I could count on. It doesn't mean anything for him to kiss me on the cheek since he's been doing it since we were three."_

" _And how long have you been making out with him for? Does that make you feel anything?"_

_She shook her head, not because she was saying no (God knows he made her feel something). "It's not the same."_

" _You keep saying that." He gave a wry laugh. "Look…you said you already talked to him. Let's just move past it for now."_

_She bit her lip and nodded. Then, shyly asked, "Are we still going to the formal tomorrow?"_

" _Unless my mom decides the punishment she's already set in place isn't good enough, then yes. I'll pick you up at 6:00?"_

_She nodded, with a small smile, and began to walk away._

" _Hey," He called and grabbed her wrist to stop her. She turned back and he kissed her. It was slightly intense- almost like he was trying to prove to her that she was his._

_They heard someone clear their throat. And Lydia pulled away and looked at Aubrey._

" _Your ten minutes are up."_

_Lydia blushed and bit her lip. "Bye."_

* * *

 

_Stiles stood against the wall of the gym, just observing. Why did he even still bother showing up? Allison canceled on him last minute. Her dad and Kate had both forgotten about the dance and they were both busy. Which meant there was no one to watch Nic. Allison was pissed and Stiles was trying his best not to be. (It wasn't working out so well.)_

_So, now here he was, having decided to still show up to the formal (just in case Scott and Malia needed help with Peter) stuck standing in the back. Scott and Malia were on the dance floor, but mostly they were trying to keep a look out, and Lydia and Aaron were sitting down at the moment. Stiles wanted to go talk to Lydia, but he was running out of eyes to blacken._

_A few minutes later, Lydia walked up to him._

" _Hey, I talked to Aaron. If you want to come sit with us, you can."_

" _Oh, thank God!" He said in relief. "I'm going out of my mind with boredom."_

* * *

 

" _Do you see him?" Scott asked Malia as she looked around._

_She shook her head. "No. Not yet."_

" _Maybe we were wrong. Maybe he won't show up."_

" _No, he's going to be here. I know it."_

_She said it with an intensity that made Scott a little nervous._

_Malia sighed. "I'm going to get something to drink." She told him before walking away._

* * *

 

_Lydia and Stiles were laughing as they reminisced about the winter formal the year before._

" _And then Coach Finstock-" Lydia was trying to recount the story, but she was laughing too hard. "God, Aaron you should have been there." She turned to where her boyfriend/date had been sitting earlier, but he wasn't there. She turned back to Stiles, who had an equally confused look on his face. "How long has he been gone?"_

_Stiles shook head. "I have no idea."_

_Lydia groaned. "He hates me. I'm pretty sure."_

" _I don't think he hates you. Me, on the other hand. I'm sure he despises." Lydia chuckled. "Hey, do you want to dance?"_

_Lydia bit her lip and thought for a moment, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Sure. Why not."_

* * *

 

_Malia sat down next to Scott and handed him a cup of punch , keeping one for herself._

" _Isn't that your brother dancing with Lydia Martin?" She asked._

_Scott nodded. "Yeah."_

" _They've been together for awhile. Right?"_

_Scott shrugged. "They say 'No'. He's dating the new girl, Allison and she's dating Aaron Gardner."_

" _Your brother's dating Allison Argent?" Scott nodded. "Huh...Your brother's got game."_

_Scott chuckled. "Hey, Lia-"_

_She gave him a quizzical glare. "Did you just call me 'Lia'?"_

" _Uh..the 'Ma' didn't quite come out. Sorry."_

" _No, I...My mom used to call me Lia. I've missed it."_

" _Oh...so...is it okay if I call you that?"_

_Malia nodded. "Yeah. I'd like that." She smiled. "Were you going to ask me something?"_

" _I-" Scott suddenly stopped. "Wait, did you see where Stiles and Lydia went?"_

_Malia surveyed the dance floor. "No. I don't see them."_

* * *

 

_Stiles walked into the boys' locker room. Some idiot bumped into him with his punch and now his shirt was wet and sticky. He knew that he had a spare shirt in his locker, and Lydia wanted to go look for Aaron so they split._

_Stiles opened the door of his locker and reached for his shirt. He heard a_ clink _as something hit the ground. Allison's necklace. He reached down and picked it up. He'd forgotten about it. He left it there when he changed out the day before after Allison gave it to him. He put it around his neck so that he could get it out of the way, and changed shirts._

_As he stepped out of the locker room, he nearly ran into Aaron._

" _Whoa!" Stiles jumped. "Oh, hey Aaron. Did Lydia find you?"_

_Aaron shook his head. "She was actually looking for me?"_

" _Of course!" Stiles sighed. "Look, Lydia really likes you. I know she's probably told you this, but we're just friends. She's my best friend. And if you hurt her, because you're too jealous to get over the fact that she has other guy friends. Then you'll have to answer to me. And to be fair, you caught me off guard with that punch last night, but I could totally kick your ass."_

_Aaron smiled and chuckled. "Alright. If you say so."_

_Suddenly there was a loud ear-piercing scream that was coming from the direction of the lacrosse field. Stiles and Aaron exchanged glances before the former muttered "Lydia." And they took off._

* * *

 

_Scott's ears perked up suddenly and he turned to Malia. "Did you hear that?"_

" _It sounded like a scream."_

" _It sounded like Lydia."_

_The two of them ran out. The gym was nowhere near the lacrosse field. That's where the both swore the sound came from. When they finally got there, there was somebody leaning over a body and they both smelled blood._

_As they neared the two people, Scott realized the body on the ground was Lydia. The boy leaning over her was Aaron._

" _What happened?" Malia asked him urgently as she bent down to check on Lydia._

" _Where's Stiles?" Scott asked._

" _He took him." Aaron sputtered out._

" _Who took him?" Scott asked him._

" _It was Peter." Malia told him solemnly, as she examined Lydia's ripped dress. "Peter's got your brother."_


	24. Secrets and Sonograms

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I've decided that (I've sort of been doing this already) I'm going to post new chapters on Mondays. It may be first thing Monday morning/Sunday night (like this time) or it may be later on in the day (maybe even possibly early Tuesday morning). I'm off work on Mondays, so if I haven't finished a chapter, I can work on it all day and post it later on. It makes it easier to set goals for myself and it also gives you guys a better idea of when to expect an update. I'll let you know if this changes for some reason.
> 
> I really hope you enjoy this chapter (it's been written for over a month). Let me know what you think in the comments!

* * *

"Go sit down, I'm going to check in." Lydia told Stiles as they walked into the doctor's office. Stiles sat down in a chair and looked over at a pile of books and magazines next to him. _What to Expect When You're Expecting_ was on top. He picked it up and fanned through it.

"It's an interesting read." He heard next to him. He looked up and Lydia was sitting down.

"You read it?"

She shrugged. "They gave me a free copy. And, you know when boredom takes over, you pick up the first thing you can find." She quirked an eyebrow. "Actually, I think you'd really enjoy it."

"You think?"

"Yeah, I mean...you like weird things."

He chuckled. "I don't like _weird_ things."

Lydia laughed. "I guess that's not what I meant. It's just...I could see you really getting into the facts...like how big the baby is and knowing what's normal and what isn't." They both chuckled at the statement then without thinking Lydia added, "You'd be a great dad."

Stiles's smile faded and he looked away as he put back. "Well...that's not what you said before."

Lydia shook her her head, "I...I didn't mean that then. Shit, I'd actually forgotten that I said that."

"I'd sort of blocked it out myself until just now and I had a..." He made a motion with his hand. " A flashback."

Lydia put her hand on his and Stiles just stared down at it. "I'm so sorry. I said that when I was upset. I've always thought you'd be a great dad one day."

He looked up at her, a small smile forming on his lips. "Really?"

She nodded, then took a deep breath. "And while we're on it, there's something that you need to kn-"

"Lydia Martin?"

Lydia huffed out a sigh, then stood up. "Here."

* * *

There was a model of a baby inside the womb in the exam room. Stiles was taking time to admire it when Lydia emerged from the bathroom in a hospital gown.

"That is so sexy." He told her playfully when he turned around.

"Ha. Ha." She said sarcastically and climbed into the chair. "So uh...just stay next to my head please."

"Got it." He nodded.

"Thank you for being here."

He nodded. "I would have been there last time too."

She nodded. "I know."

There was a knock on the door and the female doctor walked in. "Hi, Lydia...oh... Lydia Martin! I knew your name sounded familiar! How are you, hon?"

"I'm good, Dr. Spencer. " Lydia smiled.

"That's good. And who's this?" She asked looking at the pale boy standing next to her.

"This is Stiles."

"Oh, are you two still together?"

"Oh!" Lydia began and Stiles tried speaking at the same time.

"We're not-"

"It wasn't-"

"Together."

"Like that."

Dr. Spencer lifted her hand to stop them. "No need to explain. My mistake." The two teens each took a deep breath as she sat down on the rolling stool. "So, Lydia...What brings you in here?"

"Well... I took four tests..."

"How many were positive?"

"All of them."

"Nausea?"

"Oh yeah."

"How long?"

"Uh...two weeks?" She questioned. "I may have had a stomach virus for part of that though."

The doctor nodded. "When was your last missed period?"

"I think I had one last month?"

"Breast tenderness or bloating?"

"All the above."

"Do you have a rough estimate about the date of conception?"

Lydia looked at Stiles. He shrugged. "I don't know why you're looking at me."

She sighed and looked back at the doctor. "Not exactly."

"Okay..." She said slowly. "Lydia, is there something I need to know?" Lydia bit her lip and shook her head. She was afraid if she told the doctor what was happening, she'd be sent to a psych evaluation. "Okay, then. Lie back." Lydia laid down and immediately reached for Stiles's hand.

"Just look at me." Lydia whispered to Stiles.

"Why?"

"Just do it." She told him as a look of discomfort passed across her face.

"You can look at the screen now, guys." Lydia gave Stiles a slight nod and they both turned to look at the black and white image. "So..." She said after a few minutes of searching the screen. "You're definitely pregnant. I only see one sac."

Stiles looked at Lydia with confusion. "One sac means one baby." She clarified.

"Gotcha." He nodded.

"Speaking of baby," The doctor said as she did something to get a clearer picture on the screen. " _That..._ is yours." She pointed to a tiny blob on the screen. Lydia gripped Stiles's hand tighter. "Judging by the size and your symptoms, I would say you're probably somewhere between 5 and 7 weeks along. I'm going to go ahead and print a couple of pictures for you and you can pick them up at the desk when you schedule your next appointment."

Stiles was staring at the screen in awe, when he heard a sniffle from next to him. He looked down and saw Lydia biting her lip, her eyes watering. "Are you okay?" He whispered.

She nodded. "Yeah... yeah I'm.. I'm good."

* * *

"Can we go to my house?" Lydia asked as they walked to the jeep. "I wanted to grab some things to bring to yours."

"Bring to mine?" He asked. "Are you moving in?"

"I..." She began, "No..." She added a little too late. "I just... until we figure out what's causing my sleepwalking...I just... I feel like I need to..."

"It's fine." He said, reaching for her hand. She took a deep breath and nodded.

She was quiet on her way to her house. She was staring at the ultrasound picture the entire time. When they pulled up to her house, her mom's car wasn't in the driveway.

"Come inside." She told him. She went straight up to her room and sat cross-legged on her bed and Stiles sat down on the edge.

She was still staring at the tiny piece of paper they were given. "You haven't stopped staring at that since we left."

"I just... I think I'm still in shock. I'm hoping the longer I stare at it the more that it will sink in that it's happening."

"You uh...you _want_ it to happen?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...are you saying you want to keep it?"

A hand went to her stomach as she stared at the ultrasound photo. "Yeah," she said after a moment. " Yeah, I do."

Stiles nodded slowly and stood up, turning away from Lydia as he rubbed his eyes.

"Stiles? Are you okay?"

"Hmm? Oh..no...yeah... I'm... I'm _great_." He said turning around and punching his right fist into his left hand. "I'm just uh..." Lydia slowly rose to her knees. "I'm just trying to not to be angry."

Lydia's eyes teared up and she bit her quivering lip. "Say it." She whispered.

At that, it was like a release, and he took a step toward her. "I just want to know how the _fuck_ you decide that you want to keep a baby that you don't even remember conceiving- who's dad could be _God knows what_ \- but when it's _our_ baby, you wanted nothing to do with it."

She sniffed and sobbed. "I _did_ want that baby." She said, a weight lifting off of her.

"You _wanted_ it? You had an abortion, Lydia. That kind of sounds like the exact opposite of wanting it."

Lydia didn't respond. She just climbed off the bed, opened the drawer on her bedside table, and pulled out a picture frame. Stiles recognized the picture as one from a couple of Christmases before of him in a Santa hat, kissing Lydia's cheek, her eyes squeezed shut and a huge smile on her face. She opened the back of the frame; another picture slid out, and she thrust it into Stiles's hand.

"What's this?" He asked before he looked at it.

"This was the last ultrasound photo ever taken." Stiles finally looked at the picture and slowly sat back down onto the bed, continuing to stare at the photograph. Lydia took a deep breath. "I've been trying to tell you something for the past two or three days and we keep getting interrupted." She paused to see Stiles's reaction, but he was still staring at this picture, with unshed tears in his eyes. "I lied to you." He looked up to meet her gaze, and she sat back down. "That picture was taken at 12 weeks." He had noticed that the baby looked more like a baby than the tiny blob they'd seen on the screen today. "12 weeks is the start of the second trimester and most people wait to tell their friends and family until then, because miscarriages become less likely. That's when I was going to tell you."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because that was the day the first oni showed up." She took a deep breath. "When I told you last year...you said some really hurtful things, and I admit, I said some really hurtful things back. But... when you asked me what happened...I told you it was an abortion. Which..."She gave a half shrug, "Wasn't a complete lie...because another name for a miscarriage is a spontaneous abortion."

"Mi-..miscarriage?" He shook his head as he tried to understand. She nodded. "But I thought you said that after 12 weeks miscarriages-"

"Are _less_ likely. But the way it was explained to me is that the trauma sustained when I was captured by the nogitsune made the environment unsuitable for the fetus to thrive." She sounded like she was quoting the doctor's words.

Stiles sat there processing what she had told him. "Are..." He began and set the picture on the bed. "Are you fucking kidding me?" He yelled as he stood up. "Why didn't you tell me this? Why did you make me believe that it was something _you_ did!"

"I don't know!" She said as stood up too. "I guess I was trying to prove a point! Because, for a moment when I first found out, I wanted to get an abortion... because you were back with Allison, and I guess I wanted to believe that if I would have gone through with it, that you would have supported me."

"Do you realize that the biggest reason I've been mad at you this whole time is because you made this decision without involving me in it? God, do you just like having me pissed at you?!"

"What?"

"Why wouldn't you tell me it was a miscarriage?"

"Wait, first you're mad at the lie I told, and now you're mad at the truth?"

"I'm mad because I wasted a year being pissed because of that lie you told. I'm mad that instead of telling me what really happened, you let me be pissed and chose to go through that by yourself! God, Lydia...I'm mad because I'm in love with you!" It slipped out before he had the chance to really process what he'd said.

Lydia stared wide-eyed at him for a moment. "What?" She asked barely above a whisper.

Stiles took a shaky breath. It was too late to take anything back. "I.."

Lydia ran forward, throwing her arms around him and colliding her lips with his.

After a moment of shock Stiles pulled back "Wait. You just broke up with Aiden-"

Lydia was shaking her head. "We broke up because of you. Because I told him I never loved him the way I love you." She smiled. "I was never _in love_ with him the way I'm in love with you." Lydia had barely gotten the last word out before Stiles had silenced her with another kiss.


	25. Flashback 2.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the first chapter of the second season. You'll definitely see a few references to IJAMOT in the flashback chapters this season, so hopefully the flashbacks will feel more connected to the present day.

_Stiles was laying on his bed with all of the lights off, but it was only 7:00. A nervous knot had formed in the pit of his stomach several days ago and it hadn't gone away. He wasn't hungry, and he didn't want to talk to anyone. He wanted to stay right there, never moving, in the darkness that was his room._

_His phone suddenly lit up and he saw it was his father calling. The knot constricted and he felt like he was going to be sick. Several thoughts played in his head. He knew this was_ the _call. The one to let him know they'd found Lydia. He just hoped they had found her alive. He wouldn't call if she wasn't, right? Unless he called to tell him that they needed to talk about the fact that his best friend since preschool wasn't going to be coming around anymore._

" _Stop it." He scolded himself as he sat up and answered the phone. "Dad?"_

" _She's okay." His father said. The knot loosened and tears quickly sprung to his eyes and he rubbed them with his hand, taking a couple of shaky breaths. "Are_ you _okay?"_

" _Yeah," He breathed out and nodded (even though his father couldn't see that.)_

" _They're taking her back to the hospital to observe her overnight if you want to-"_

" _Thanks." Stiles hung up and took a deep breath before scrolling through his contacts and finding the one he wanted._

" _Stiles?"_

" _Hey, Aaron... my dad called. They found Lydia if you want to go see her. He said she's fine, but they're taking her back to the hospital for observation."_

_He heard Aaron's sigh of relief. "Thank God. I'll head that way soon. Thank you for calling me."_

" _You're welcome." Stiles said softly and hung up. He assumed his dad would have also alerted Scott, so the only person really left to tell was Allison. Stiles took a deep breath before calling her number. It rang several times, then went to voicemail._

" _Hey! You've reached Allison Argent. Sorry I missed your call, but if you leave me a message I'll get back to you as soon as possible!"_ Beep.

" _Hey, Ali. It's Stiles. I know that you don't want to hear from me right now, but I just thought you'd want to know that they found Lydia and she's okay. I'm not even sure if you got my last message that said she was missing, but if you didn't then...don't worry about it...because she's not anymore. That's all I wanted to say. Call me when you're talking to me again." He paused as he realized he was about to say 'Love you.' Except, they hadn't said that yet. And what crappier way to say 'I love you' for the first time than over a voicemail because your girlfriend (was she even still your girlfriend?) wasn't talking to you because you basically got her aunt killed? To be fair, it was her aunt's actions that got her killed in the first place, but it also didn't help that you put your girlfriend and her son's lives in danger too. "Bye." He finally said with a sigh and hung up._

* * *

" _Stiles?" Lydia questioned as she saw him over Aaron's shoulder. Lydia was laying down in the hospital bed and Aaron was sitting next to her._

" _Hey." Stiles said with a small smile as held up the stuffed bear he was holding and waved one of its hands._

_Lydia chuckled. "Come in."_

" _I really-" Stiles began and Aaron stood up._

" _I need to be getting home. I'm still grounded for getting kicked out of the game, so my mom's got me on a timer. I'll see you later." He leaned over and kissed Lydia on her lips and left the room, giving Stiles a small nod on his way out._

" _Come sit with me." Lydia smiled. "I want to see my present." Stiles chuckled and walked over, sitting where Aaron had just gotten up and handed Lydia the cream-colored bear. "Awe, I love it!"_

_Stiles shrugged. "I just got it from the gift shop."_

" _I still love it." She said softly. They were both quiet for a few moments before Lydia spoke again, "The bite on my side isn't healing."_

" _It's not?" Stiles asked in surprise._

_Lydia shook her head, then shrugged. "Well, it's healing, but at a normal human rate. Scott said once that Malia told him the bite either turns you or kills you. But if I was turning, the bite would be gone, but I'm not dead...so what am I?"_

" _I don't know," He told her with a slight shake of his head._

" _Well, that makes two of us." She pursed her lips into a thin line then cleared her throat. "So...I haven't seen you since the formal. What happened?"_

"Shit _happened. To put it bluntly."_

_Lydia nodded. "Do you want to elaborate on that?"_

_Stiles stared at an invisible spot on the wall, letting scenes from that night replay in his head. "I was with Aaron when we heard you scream." He said softly._

_Lydia felt a chill go up her spine, remembering the details all too well._

" _When Aaron and I got to the lacrosse field, we begged him to just let you go. You were on the ground and bleeding." Stiles stopped because his voice broke. He recollected his thoughts and took a deep breath and continued. "All of a sudden, Peter told me if I came with him he'd let you go. So I did. I found out later, he'd seen Allison's necklace on me. I found it in my locker and put it on so that I could bring it home. It was so stupid, because if I would have just left the necklace in the locker then-" He stopped and Lydia put her hand on his._

" _If you didn't have the necklace you wouldn't have had anything to barter with. Then I may be dead."_

_Stiles shook his head. "We could have stalled him. Malia and Scott showed up right after I left. They could have done something. You would have been fine."_

" _You don't know that. You did what you had to do." Lydia tried to tell him._

_Stiles was shaking his head again as tears filled his eyes. "I can't." He said, as he got up and turned to walk away._

_Lydia quickly reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Stiles!" He stopped, facing away from her, "What happened?" She whispered. He turned back slowly and_ _looked down at their hands and then finally to her eyes. They were pleading with him. She was so confused about what was happening to_ her _,_ _the least he could do was clue her in to what was happening with_ him _._

" _This is all my fault." His voice wavered._

" _No it's not. What are you talking about?"_

_He nodded. "It is. I dragged Scott out into the woods. It's my fault he's a werewolf. It's my fault Peter was at the school. It's my fault he saw the necklace. I put Allison and Dominic in danger and it's my fault her aunt is dead, and it's my fault Malia-" He stopped abruptly when he saw Lydia's face, and felt her rubbing her thumb on his hand soothingly._

" _Stiles?" Lydia asked slowly when he didn't say anything for a while. "What happened to Malia?"_

_Stiles found that invisible spot on the wall again, staring at is as he mentally saw the horror show playing out in front of him._

" _Stiles?"_

" _She killed him."_

" _What? Who? Who did she kill?"_

_Stiles gulped. "Peter."_

" _Wait…but I thought that if you kill an alpha…"_

_He nodded. "You become alpha."_

" _So that means…"_

_He nodded again. "And she's already making her pack."_

* * *

 

_Allison was laying down on her bed reading a book, Dominic cuddled up beside her, when she saw her phone light up. She rolled her eyes, assuming it was Stiles again, but was surprised when she saw Lydia's name._

" _Hello?" She whispered slowly, only just realizing it was possible that Stiles was using her friend's phone in an effort to get her to talk to him._

" _Hey." She heard Lydia's voice and breathed a sigh of relief._

" _Hey, I haven't heard from you in a couple of days." Allison told her._

" _Yeah…Stiles said you probably weren't listening to his messages."_

" _Oh, God." Allison said suddenly, realizing how weak her friend's voice sounded. "He wasn't calling to talk to me. Was he?"_

" _Some of his calls may have been to talk to you, but he said he was trying to tell you that I'd basically gone out of my mind and was running around the woods naked for an entire day."_

" _Lydia! Oh my God! You're okay now, though…right?"_

" _I mean…probably not."_

_Allison groaned. "I feel like a terrible friend."_

" _It's okay. You didn't know. How would you? I mean…if you're not talking to Stiles then…" She trailed off. "Um…why aren't you talking to Stiles?" Lydia said slowly._

" _He didn't tell you?"_

" _He just said it was his fault. I don't really know what that means…I mean… Allison, I've never seen him like this."_

" _If you're trying to make me feel bad then-"_

" _I'm not. I'm just trying to understand."_

 _Allison sighed. "A few days ago, I gave Stiles my necklace so that Peter wouldn't connect me or Dominic to it. The night of the formal, he shows up at my house, says he's sorry, then Peter walks in holding the necklace, demanding to know where Kate was and forced me to take him to her. My dad and Kate weren't home. That's the whole reason I couldn't go to the formal. I couldn't leave Dominic by himself, so I had to take him with us. With an_ alpha _, Lydia." Allison took another deep breath. "I mean…last week, Stiles was telling me how he'd fight 100 werewolves for me and Dominic and instead, he brings one into my home."_

_Lydia was quiet for a moment. "He had to have had a good reason, Allison. I'm sure he didn't want to do it."_

" _It doesn't matter. Aside from the fact that was only the beginning of the problems he caused that night-"_

" _Don't blame him-"_

" _I have enough trouble keeping Nic out of all of this, and don't tell me not to blame him. You weren't there you have no idea."_

" _I wasn't there because you weren't Peter's first victim that night!"_

_The phone suddenly felt like a hot coal in her hand. Something she needed to get away from immediately. "You were bit?"_

" _Yes, but-"_

" _I'm sorry, Lydia. I have to go."_


	26. Feelings and Bullet Wounds

“Wait.” Stiles said as he pushed Lydia back slightly. They were both gasping for air. Neither of them really remembered how they ended up on the bed. But Stiles still had _some_ sense about him to realize where this was going. “We should…slow down.” He said between breaths.

  
  


“Yeah.” Lydia nodded as she sat up. “You’re right.”

  
  


“I am?” He asked, suddenly unsure of his earlier statement.

  
  


She nodded again. “Yeah…we shouldn’t rush into anything.” He reached for her hand and she sighed. “I mean…no matter what our feelings are…we did both just get out of relationships.” Then added. “One more serious than the other.”

  
  


Stiles chuckled. “Yeah…”

  
  


“I should probably finish getting my things together so we can get back to your house before my mom gets home.”

  
  


He nodded and let go of her hand so she could get up. She began to bustle around her room and he realized the picture had fallen off the bed. He reached down to pick it up and stared at it again.

  
  


“You can keep that one.” She told him.

  
  


“Really?” He asked, looking up at her.

  
  


She nodded. “Yeah. I’ve got another one. I was going to give that one to you anyway.” Stiles looked over and saw the picture from the doctor today sitting on her bedside table. He picked that one up and looked at it.

  
  


“Hey, Lydia.”

  
  


“Yeah?” She asked.

  
  


He took a deep breath. “Would you think I was crazy if I told you that when I look at both of these pictures…I feel the same attachment to both?”

  
  


Lydia turned to look at him. He wasn’t looking at her, and he was biting his lip. “What are you saying?” Her heartbeat sped up slightly. “I mean…are you saying that you remember something that you haven’t told me, because I-“ It came out panicked.

  
  


“No!” He said quickly, once he was able to find his words. “No, that’s not what I’m saying at all. It’s not a memory…it’s….it’s more of a feeling.”

  
  


Lydia didn’t reply, she just finished gathering her things together.

  
  


“So…you _do_ think I’m crazy.” He said it as a statement.

  
  


“I never said that.”

  
  


“No, you didn’t say anything. I feel like that’s worse.”

  
  


“I don’t know what to say, Stiles.” She took a deep breath. “I mean…neither of us remember anything. It’s not entirely out of the realm of possibility-”

  
  


“-But you don’t want it to be true.”

  
  


“Stop putting words into my mouth!” She growled in frustration. “I just,” She continued. “I don’t know… don’t want to get my hopes up? If I were being honest, I have a similar feeling. Maybe that’s why I want to keep it.” She put a hand on her stomach. “But what if we’re wrong?”

 

 

“But what if we’re not.” He countered as he stood and reached out to grab both of her hands in his. “What if there was a way that it could be true? You don’t remember getting pregnant, I don’t remember getting this scar. What if it’s all connected?”

  
  


Lydia looked up at him, her green eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Let’s not think about that.” She whispered and pulled her hands away from his and turned around.

  
  


“How long have you loved me?” He asked suddenly.

  
  


“What?” She turned back to face him.

  
  


“How long have you been in love with me?”

  
  


“I don’t know.” She told him as she busied herself with her things. “I guess I can’t remember.”

  
  


“Before the night at the nemeton, I didn’t know what that feeling was.” He said. “It had been sitting there for so long. But that night, when you woke up with that piece of glass in your hand, I was holding your wrist and all of a sudden something inside me clicked. It was like my mind was a broken record telling me over and over again, ‘You’re in love with her, you’re in love with her.’ And all at once the thought felt new, and familiar at the same time. Like it was something I’d been telling myself for years. But I hadn’t. I’d only just realized it.”

  
  


Lydia sighed exasperated as a tear dripped down her cheek. She grabbed her bag and went to her door. “Let’s just go.”

  
  


Stiles beat her there, extending his hand from behind her to close the door in her face. He kept his hand propped up on the door, and Lydia looked down for a moment, before turning to look at him.

  
  


“Something happened, Lydia. I know it did. I’m not having dreams like you or remembering anything. It’s just a feeling. I can’t explain it.”

 

She a took a deep breath. “If I promise to consider it, would you drop it for now and let us leave before my mom gets home?” He stared at her for a few moments, before nodding slowly and pulling away from the door. “Thank you.” She mumbled and left the room.

  
  


* * *

  
They didn't say much on the ride back to Stiles's house, but halfway there, he reached for her hand and she didn't move it, so he figured that was a good sign.

  
  


What wasn't a good sign was when they walked through the front door and saw Sheriff Stilinski waiting expectantly for them.

  
  


“We need to talk.” He said seriously. Stiles's heart dropped into his stomach as he thought about the many possible reasons for his father's tone.

  
  


“O-okay.” He voice was shaky, he reached for Lydia's hand again to provide him the support he needed. He squeezed it, then turned to her “If you want to head up to my room I-”

  
  


Lydia was about to protest. She wasn't going to leave him alone, but it didn't matter. “Actually,” Stilinski continued. “I'd like to talk to both of you.”

  
  


Stiles let out a breath. If he needed to talk to Lydia too, then the really bad things that were going through his head wouldn't have concerned her.

  
  


Noah motioned to the chairs across from him at the table, and Lydia and Stiles exchanged glances as they sat down.

  
  


“I got a call from the school today, that neither of you showed up for class.”

  
  


“Well, you see-” Stiles tried to explain, but his father cut him off.

  
  


“I'm not finished.” Stiles slowly sat back. “That's not really what I care about. I figured it was something related to the supernatural...but then...I got home and decided to gather the trash and I found something very interesting in your bathroom.” He looked pointedly at Stiles, then glanced back at Lydia, eyes softening. “Is there something I need to know?”

  
  


“Regarding...?” Stiles questioned, slowly.

  
  


The Sheriff sighed, and opened his mouth to say something, but Lydia interrupted. “It's fine, Stiles.” Stilinski looked back at the banshee and Lydia took a deep breath. “The pregnancy tests were mine.” The Sheriff nodded slowly.

  
  


“Stiles?” He looked back at his son.

  
  


The younger boy was looking down, and his head popped up when he heard his name. “What? _I'm_ not pregnant.”

  
  


Noah closed his eyes, in an attempt to not reach his hands across the table and strangle his son. “I meant, are you responsible.”

  
  


“I...”Stiles started, and shared a look with Lydia.

  
  


“It's complicated.” Lydia finally said.

  
  


The older gentleman shook his head. “It's not that complicated, guys. I know how babies are made, I _have_ had a few of my own.”

  
  


“That's...sort of _why_ it's complicated.” Stiles told his father and watched him raised an eyebrow at the two teens.

  
  


“I don't exactly remember doing that thing that makes the babies.” Lydia told him, cheeks turning pink.

  
  


The Sheriff nodded slowly, obviously finding this conversation just as awkward and embarrassing as the kids. “And you're sure it wasn't just a false positive?” Then corrected, “Well, _four_ false positives.”

  
  


“We're sure.” Stiles answered and reached into his pocket for the picture from the afternoon and handed it to his father.

  
  


Stilinski looked at it for a moment, before his forehead wrinkled in confusion. “This is dated two years ago.”

  
  


“Shit!” Stiles exclaimed as Lydia's eyes widened. He reached for the picture, but his dad held it just out of his reach, as he waited expectantly for an explanation. “O-okay, Th-that one..” Stiles pointed spastically at the picture, as he stuttered. “That...that one was my bad.” Lydia buried her face in her hands as Stiles reached for his other pocket that held the sonogram from that day. “This one...” He began as he presented the second picture. “Is the one that we're not 100% about.” Stiles rubbed the back of his neck as his father looked between the two teens and the two pictures. “Can uh..” Stiles began again. “Can I just...get that one back?” He pointed the first picture.

  
  


When the Sheriff looked back at the kids, his eyes were glassy, as if finally putting the pieces together. Stiles couldn't make eye contact with his dad, knowing that the older man was thinking about everything his son had been through the past two years. Watching those emotions, would make him start to think about things, and he didn't really feel like taking that trip right then.

  
  


Noah slid the first picture back to his son, and Stiles put his hand on top of it to pull it closer to him, with a mumbled, “Thanks.”

  
  


The Sheriff cleared his throat after a few minutes, and began, “I want to revisit that one,” Stilinski nodded at the picture Stiles was still holding on top of the table, “At a later time. This one though...”

  
  


“Please don't tell my mom.” Lydia begged.

  
  


“Lydia-”

  
  


“Please, Sheriff! I've tried to tell her about the supernatural and she just refuses to believe it. She's not going to understand-”

  
  


“Wait.” The Sheriff held up a hand. “You think you got pregnant _supernaturally_?”

  
  


Lydia bit her lip to stop the tears from falling.

  
  


It didn't work.

  
  


A sob escaped her chest and Stiles put his hand that wasn't holding the photo on her knee and gave it a squeeze.

  
  


“I don't remember anything happening. I never would have even taken a test if Scott hadn't heard the heartbeat.”

  
  


“I've got this scar.” Stiles said and stood up, raising his shirt.

  
  


“When did you get shot?” The sheriff almost yelled in a panic.

  
  


“What?” Lydia gasped and shared a look a Stiles.

  
  


“How do you know it's from a gun?” Stiles asked his dad.

  
  


“I've seen my fair share bullet wounds, son. Fresh and healed. I've got one on my leg. That's a bullet wound.”

  
  


Stiles shook his head. “I've never gotten shot. At least...not that I can remember...and that's not something that could just sneak by undetected.” He looked to the banshee, “Lydia, if I wasn't sure before, I'm sure now. Something happened to us.”

  
  


Stilinski finally sighed. “I won't tell your mom, Lydia. But you need to figure out how you're going to tell her.”

  
  


Lydia looked down, getting lost in her own thoughts. “I was kind of thinking about bringing a baby home in eight months for winter break.” she nodded to herself, “Yeah, we'll set up a nativity scene and it'll be the baby Jesus all wrapped up in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. And I'll say, Behold, Mother.” She outstretched her arm as if gesturing at the manger. “This is your grandchild who will bring you love and joy and happiness. I had such a hard time finding a Christmas present for you last year, that I started working on this one 9 months ago, because I figured, what mother wouldn't want her 18 year-old daughter to give her a grandchild?”

  
  


Lydia finally looked up to see both Stilinski men smirking at her.

  
  


She sighed. “Yeah... I'll figure it out.”

 


	27. Flashback 2.2

_Stiles went to the hospital the next day and saw Mrs. Martin talking to one of the doctors outside of Lydia's room._

  
  


“ _Hey, Natalie.” Stiles addressed her mother._

  
  


“ _Stiles,” she nodded her head. “What are you doing here?”_

  
  


“ _She's still getting out today, right?” He asked, nodding toward the room._

  
  


“ _Yes...That still doesn't explain why you're here. She doesn't need two of you.”_

  
  


“ _Two?”_

  
  


“ _Aaron already volunteered to take her home.”_

  
  


“ _Oh.” Natalie must have seen the look on his face, because she smiled sympathetically. “If you still want to see her-” She began, but Stiles cut her off with a shake of his head._

  
  


“ _No. No...That's fine...just...let her know I stopped by.” Natalie nodded and Stiles turned around and walked away._

  
  


_He realized now, he didn't like Lydia having a boyfriend. It was fine when they both had somebody, but it was different now. Maybe it didn't have to just do with Lydia. There was also the fact that he and Scott had gotten into another fight after that night._

  
  


_His phone buzzed in his pocket and he pulled it out. Lydia._

 

“ _Hey.” He said into the speaker._

 

“ _Hey, my mom just told me that you stopped by. Did you need something?”_

 

“ _No, I was just going to take you home.”_

 

“ _Oh..” She lowered her voice. “Aaron stepped out for a moment, I could tell him to go home and you could come bac-“_

 

“ _No. That’s okay. Spend time with your boyfriend.”_

 

“ _No, something’s wrong. I know it is. I can tell. I’m going to tell him to leave.”_

 

“ _Lyd…”_

 

“ _Stiles! Please, come back.”_

 

_He sighed. If there was anybody listening in to his conversation, there would be no denying that he tried to do the right thing, but Lydia was insisting._

 

“ _Okay.” He finally said after a long pause. “But, I'm going to wait until I see him leave before heading in there. The bruising on my face is almost gone. I really don't need a repeat.”_

 

“ _Alright.” She said with a small chuckle. “I'll see you soon.”_

 

_Stiles hung up and finished the walk to his jeep. He was going to sit there until he saw Aaron leave._

 

_When he finally did see him walk out of the hospital, Stiles felt the slightest bit of guilt creep up. Aaron looked upset, but Stiles couldn't tell from here if he was mad, frustrated, sad or somewhere in between._

 

* * *

 

 

“ _Long time no see.” Natalie quipped when Stiles walked into view. Stiles looked down and shrugged._

 

“ _Thanks.” He told her softly. She smiled knowingly and nodded her head toward the door, telling him to go in._

 

_Lydia , who was perched on the edge of the bed, sighed in relief when he walked in. “I was starting to think you were going to leave and I was going to have to go home with my_ **mom** _.”_

 

“ _I heard that!” Natalie called from the door that hadn't closed all the way._

 

_Lydia chuckled but then turned to Stiles, “Which..by the way, that's what I told Aaron.”_

 

“ _What do you mean?”_

 

“ _I told him that my mom wanted to take me home and had asked me to politely let him know so that he'd leave.”_

 

“ _Oh...” Stiles mumbled, guilt creeping back in. “I feel bad, Lyd...I mean... doesn't it make you feel like we're doing something wrong when you have to lie to your boyfriend? And really, how good is a relationship built on lies?”_

 

_Lydia shook her head. “But we're not doing anything wrong. It's fine. Once he gets used to our friendship, we won't have to lie. We just... won't admit to all of the lies.”_

 

“ _Well, that sounds like a recipe for disaster.”_

 

_Lydia swung her legs back and forth, then patted the empty space next to her. They were still waiting on her release to be official, so there wasn't much else they could do. Stiles sat down and Lydia leaned her head onto his shoulder._

 

“ _Speaking of disaster...I talked to Allison last night.”_

 

_Stiles froze at her name. “Oh?”_

 

“ _Yeah...she freaked when I told her Peter bit me. She wouldn't even let me explain that nothing came of it...not yet at least I guess. She also told me about you bringing Peter to her house...”_

 

_Stiles shook his head. “I didn't want to.” Lydia tilted her head as she waited for him to finish his thought. “He threatened my mom.. and my dad, Scott, Kayce...” He lifted his eyes to look at her “You.” Lydia straightened slightly, as the boy's eyes unfocused. “Said he was going to go back and finish you off.” Stiles took a shaky breath and lifted his hand to neck. “He had his claws to my throat the entire time. I didn't know what else to do.” He didn't realize he was crying until he felt Lydia's hand rubbing his back._

 

“ _It's okay now.” She soothed. “Just breathe.” She moved her hand from his back to brush his cheek softly with her thumb. One minute Stiles was watching her look at him with such concern in her eyes. The next, his lips were on hers. His hand was coming up to cup her face and she was kissing him back._

 

_The kiss went on for longer than it should have, before Stiles finally got his wits about him and pulled away, closing his eyes and wincing._

 

“ _I'm sorry. That...I shouldn't have...”_

 

“ _No!” she began quickly. “No...it's uh..it's fine... It's okay... It's good... it was good.”_

 

_He looked down at their hands that had somehow come together and pulled his away from hers. “I should go.'_

 

_He stood and she reached for him._

 

“ _Wait, Stiles! Who's going to take me home?”_

 

_He shrugged and motioned to the door. “Your mom. It's what you told Aaron.”_

 

_Lydia's eyes widened for a moment at the mention of his name. She'd kind of forgotten about him for a bit._

 

“ _I'm just...”Stiles continued, moving his hand away from her grasp again, “I'm not in a proper head space right now and I shouldn't have done that-”_

 

“ _It was just a kiss between friends...right?”_

 

“ _....yeah....yes...of course...but uh..it's not something that we can tell Aaron about. And I don't want you to have to lie to him because of me.” He licked his lips. “So...I should go...before something else happens.”_

 

_Stiles closed the door behind him and Lydia began to cry._

 

* * *

 

 

_Stiles was dressed in black dress pants and a white dress shirt as he stood behind a tree watching the funeral in front of him._

 

“ _Stiles?” He heard from behind him and saw Lydia approaching._

 

“ _Lydia? What are you doing here?”_

 

“ _I could ask you the same thing.”_

 

“ _I asked you first.”_

 

_Lydia nodded slowly. “I'm here for Allison. I know she doesn't really want to see me, but I feel like I need to be there for her.”_

 

_Stiles mirrored Lydia's nod. “I'm here for me...and Allison...but mostly me. It's my fault Kate's dead. I feel like I needed to be here for closure.”_

 

“ _It wasn't your fault. Stop blaming yourself.”_

 

“ _You know me...I'm just a big heaping pile of self-loathing , self-pity and self-doubt. Basically I eat sel-fish for dinner.”_

 

“ _Did you just make that up?”_

 

“ _I thought it was clever.”_

 

_Lydia didn't respond. They just watched Allison's family sit down in the chairs laid out on the lawn. The family was doing their best to ignore the crowd that had gathered._

 

_About halfway through, Allison looked over in their direction and made eye contact. She didn't say anything, but kept looking up and over at them. There was no mistaking that she had seen them._

 

_When the service was over, Allison immediately marched over to the tree, after passing Dominic off to a relative._

 

“ _What the hell are you two doing here?” Allison snapped._

 

_Stiles didn't say anything. He couldn't. He was too busy trying to remember this moment. This moment where Allison was talking to him again... even if she was yelling._

 

“ _We wanted to be there for you, Allison.” Lydia told her. Allison's gaze softened at Lydia, then she turned to Stiles._

 

“ _Y-yeah.” He stuttered. He caught movement behind her head and his focus went to that. Allison noticed the shift in his gaze and turned to see her uncle slowly making his way toward them._

 

“ _Shit...” Allison muttered. “Okay, guys look that's my dad's Uncle Alexander. He's a little off his rocker lately. Alzheimer's._

 

“ _It_ **is** _you.” He muttered as he got closer to Stiles and Lydia. The red head reached out for Stiles's wrist._

 

“ _Uncle Alex, these are my friends-”_

 

“ _They kidnapped me and blew up my truck!”_

 

“ _He's been telling this story for years,” Allison muttered to her friends._

 

“ _Him and the_ **whore** _. Like some kind of Bonnie and Clyde!” At the word, 'whore' Stiles put an arm in front of Lydia, as if that was going to protect her from his hateful words._

 

“ _Uncle Alex, go back to dad and grandpa.”_

 

“ _They were dead!” He exclaimed with sudden horror. “They died, there were no bodies.. They're ghosts! Allison, get away from them, they're ghosts!”_

 

“ _Hey, what's going on over here?” Chris Argent appeared, thankfully._

 

“ _Christopher! They're ghosts! They're ghosts!”_

 

“ _He thinks Stiles and Lydia were the couple that 'kidnapped' him.” Allison used air quotes. No one in the family really believed the story apparently._

 

“ _Come on, Alexander. Let's go back to the family.”_

 

_Chris began to lead his uncle away as Alexander turned around and began screaming. “She's a banshee! The girlfriend's a banshee!”_

 

_Allison, Stiles, and Lydia stared at each other for awhile, before Lydia finally broke the silence. “I'm not turning.”_

 

“ _What?” Allison asked, as she cocked her head at her friend._

 

“ _The bite isn't healing. I'm not turning. I don't know what that means...except that...I'm not a wolf.” Then, Lydia stole a glance at Alexander._ Banshee _._

 

“ _I'm so sorry, Ali.” Stiles tried. “I never wanted-”_

 

“ _Thank you for coming.” Allison interrupted him. “I've got to go though. I'll talk to you both later.” She told them and then walked away._

 

_Once she was out of ear shot, Stiles turned to Lydia. “She said she'd talk to_ **both of us** _later. Does that mean everything's okay with us?”_

 

_Lydia shrugged halfheartedly. “I'm not sure.”_

 

“ _Lydia?”_

 

“ _He called me a banshee.”_

 

“ _The dude is not all there, Lyd. You can't believe everything he says.”_

 

“ _What if he's like...psychic or something?”_

 

“ _He thinks we kidnapped him. I'm not sure when he thought we did this between the growing up and werewolf stuff”_

 

“ _What if we haven't done it yet. Like I said, he's psychic.”_

 

“ _And why the hell would we kidnap an old man?”_

 

_Lydia shrugged. She didn't know, but he was calling her a banshee and that made her curious._

 

 


	28. Monsters and Make Up Tests

 

When Stiles woke up in his bed with his arms wrapped around Lydia, it was still dark. He sighed and snuggled closer to her, trying to go back to sleep. (To no avail.)

Suddenly he heard a creak and a whispered, "Stiles?"

"Kayce?" Stiles muttered as he looked up and saw his little sister standing in the doorway. He shrugged the blankets off of him and sat up as Kayce walked over to him. "What's wrong?"

"There was a monster in my room."

"Show me." Stiles held out his hand and his sister grasped it tightly and led him out of his room and into hers.

"It was in the window." She told him as they walked in. Stiles crept over to the window, and pulled back the pink curtain.

Her window was open slightly and Stiles could see scratch marks on the glass, but neither of those things meant anything. He made sure the window was shut and secured, then closed the curtains back.

"If there was anything there-"

"There was!" She protested.

Stiles sighed and bent down to her level. "I'm not saying there wasn't. If you say there was something there, I believe you. But whatever it was, it's gone now."

Kayce nodded and looked down at her feet. "Can I sleep in your room tonight?"

And there it was. He knew this was coming. Stiles opened his mouth, but--

"It's fine." He heard Lydia's voice from the door. She was standing against the frame with a thoughtful smile on her face, and he wondered just how long she had been there.

Kayce looked up at Lydia then back at Stiles, hopeful. "Well, you heard her." He told the little girl and stood, lifting Kayce up and carrying her back to his room. The three of them climbed into bed, putting Kayce in the middle.

When Stiles woke up again, there was a foot jabbing into his lower back and another one in his face. He turned his head to see that Kayce's head was resting against Lydia's and the little girl was laying horizontally across the bed.

Well, at least they looked comfy. Stiles realized the sun was just beginning to rise, and groaned. He would not be getting back to sleep again before school.

* * *

Stiles was pouring a cup of coffee when Scott walked into the kitchen.

"I thought I heard someone down here." The wolf joked as he made his way over to the cabinet Stiles was standing in front of.

"It's just me." Scott paused and cocked his head, staring at his brother. Stiles wrinkled his forehead as he watched the alpha's gaze. "What? Why are you staring at me like that?"

"I don't know. Something seems...different about you."

"Maybe because I didn't sleep." Stiles quipped as he took a long swig of his coffee.

Scott shook his head. "No, you never sleep. That wouldn't be it."

Stiles rolled his eyes behind the coffee cup. "Well, then I couldn't tell you."

"Stiles?" He heard Kayce's voice.

"What's wrong?"

"Lydia's sick. She's throwing up in the bathroom."

 _Morning sickness._ Stiles thought. "She'll be okay." Stiles promised his little sister.

"But," Kayce continued, a slight panic to her voice. "What if you and I get sick just like I got you and Lydia sick before?"

"Oh...you know...you don't have to worry about that. We're not going to get sick, and if we do...it won't be because of Lydia."

"How do you know?"

"Because I just know. Have I ever lied to you before?"

"No."

Stiles shrugged his shoulders as if to say 'See?'

"Okay." She smiled.

"Go get dressed for school." Stiles told her. She ran upstairs as he sipped on his coffee again.

"Lydia slept over? Again?" Scott questioned, his eyebrows raising at his brother.

"Get used to it. She's afraid to be by herself at night. She still doesn't know why she's sleep walking." Scott rolled his eyes, but Stiles pretended not to see it. Right behind Scott's shoulder, Stiles saw the whiskey from the other night and remembered his conversation with Scott, and then remembered what Lydia told him. "Oh." Stiles said suddenly.

"What?" Scott asked. Stiles put his coffee mug now.

"I found something out yesterday." Scott was waiting for Stiles to continue. "Remember what I told you the other night?"

Scott nodded. "About the abortion?"

Stiles nodded. "Turns out she lied."

"She wasn't really pregnant?!"

"No, she was." Stiles quickly corrected him, then took a deep breath. "It was a miscarriage." For some reason, telling Scott about it, made him a lot more emotional than he thought he would be. He cleared his throat as he swallowed back the lump that was forming. "I just... wanted you to be aware since I told you the other story...I didn't want you to judge her for something it turns out she didn't do." He took another deep breath, not making eye contact with his brother. "I'm uh... going to go check on Lydia." Stiles started to walk away, but stopped. "Oh!" He turned around. "Also, Kayce said she saw a monster at her window. There were scratches on the glass and the window was opened like an inch, but I didn't see anything else. If you want to double check on it... Sniff around in there..."

Scott nodded and Stiles turned back around to head up the stairs. When he got back to his room, he heard the shower running. He had the brief thought of walking into the bathroom and asking to join, but then remembered that he wasn't exactly sure where their relationship stood at the moment. They confessed their love for each other and made out, then said they wanted to slow down. What did that even mean? How slow were they supposed to go? Like...were they "just friends" slow, or like "let's not put a label on all the sex" slow?

He heard the water turn off and a few moments later, the door opened and Lydia walked out in a towel, letting out a yelp when she saw Stiles laying on the bed.

"God! You scared the shit out of me."

"I wasn't even doing anything." Stiles laughed.

"You were just so quiet out here." She told him as she tried to dry her hair with another towel.

"Are you feeling okay?"

The banshee shrugged. "About as good as can be expected."

"Kayce told me that you were sick. She was worried that she and I were going to get sick too."

"What'd you tell her?"

Stiles shrugged. "Just that we would be fine, and if we got sick, it wouldn't be your fault." Lydia nodded. "You'll probably have to tell her the truth soon though."

"Me? Why do I have to do it?"

Stiles shrugged. "I don't know...I could do it. I just figured _you'd_ want to." Stiles sat up on the bed and put his feet on the ground. "Although, we probably need to tell your mom before we tell my 8 year-old sister."

"You know...I was like 90% serious about not telling my mother."

"I know you were." Stiles took a deep breath. "If that's really what you want to do, then I'm not going to go behind your back and tell her. My dad on the other hand..." Lydia huffed. "I mean... I'm sure she'd rather hear it from you."

Lydia shook her head. "She's going to kick me out. I know it."

"Well, then it's a good thing my dad is already okay with you staying here. And we're almost out of school, so we'll be going off to college and you wouldn't be under her roof anyway."

Lydia shrugged. "True."

Stiles stood and walked past her to head to the bathroom, then stopped and turned back to her.

"Hey, Lydia?"

"Yeah?" She asked as she looked back at him.

"Would you...Do you...Will you..."

"Spit it out, Stiles."

"Wanna go on a date? With me?"

Lydia was obviously taken by surprise. A small smile appeared on her face and slowly grew to a grin. "I'd love to."

He nodded ."Okay. Good." He nodded toward the bathroom. "I'm gonna take a shower now."

"Have fun."

* * *

"Are you going to tell everybody?" Scott leaned forward from the backseat, as soon as they had dropped Kayce off.

"Tell everybody what?" Lydia was in the passenger's seat and now she was genuinely confused.

"You're kidding, right?" Scott asked incredulously. Lydia looked back him gesturing that she still didn't know. "You know...the fact that I heard another heartbeat and I _wasn't wrong_? Geez, how many secrets do you have that you would need to tell everyone about?"

Stiles and Lydia shared a look.

Lydia sighed. "I'm still trying to figure out if I want to tell my mom. You, your dad, and Stiles are the only ones that know about it."

"Maybe we should tell everyone at the same time. Like a pack meeting or something." Stiles suggested.

Scott squinted at the two of them. "Wait...is there something else I don't know about?

"They could help." Lydia told Stiles with a small nod, ignoring Scott's comment.

"Help with what?!" The werewolf was getting frustrated.

"Call a pack meeting for this afternoon." Stiles finally told his brother.

Scott growled under his breath. "Fine."

* * *

The last bell of the day rang and Stiles met Lydia at her locker.

"Ready to go?" He asked. Lydia sighed and nodded.

"Hey, guys." Scott came up to them. "I'll catch a ride with Kira. See you when you're done."

Peter had asked if they could take their make up tests after school. Lydia had already told him yes when he asked Stiles and since he was Lydia's ride, he was inclined to agree as well.

They walked back into Peter's classroom for the second time that day and were the only two in there. "Here you go." Peter gave them their tests when they sat down, then sat back down at the desk and propped his feet up on it.

"You know," Peter began suddenly when they were both about halfway through their tests. "Next week we start talking about the reproductive system and how babies are made. Not the actual sex part, but what happens when the sperm meets the egg. I've been doing some research about it. Did you know that the first two weeks you're not actually pregnant. Conception basically happens at week three. Then, five weeks is when its heart starts beating for the first time. A doctor couldn't hear it with any of their machines, but... a werewolf might." Peter took a deep breath, and both Lydia and Stiles had stopped writing, but neither one of them looked at him. "I heard it. Last week when we were talking about fear. I thought you were scared...your heart was beating so fast. Then you said you weren't, and I focused my hearing and your heart was beating at a normal, steady rhythm. I thought maybe I had been hearing things. Then Monday, you come in here, freaking out about how Scott thought you were pregnant...so now... we're by ourselves in here, and I can hear it so clearly."

"What do you want, Peter?" Stiles finally looked up from his test.

"I just want to help." His eyes were soft and if Stiles hadn't been given ample reasons not to trust this man, he would assume that the new teacher was telling the truth.

"And what do you gain by helping us?" Lydia questioned him, as she looked up from her test too.

Peter shrugged. "I'm not sure I get anything." He sat up in his chair and put his feet down, staring at Lydia. "Look...I just want to protect you guys." Then he looked to Stiles. "All three of you."

"Why?" Stiles asked softly.

Peter looked like he wanted to say something, but changed his mind. "You know. Never mind. If you don't want my help, fine. If you change your mind, you know where to find me." Peter glanced at the clock. "You've got 20 minutes."


	29. Flashback 2.3

_The day Allison returned to school, Stiles wasn't sure what to expect. As he stood at his locker, he felt someone approach him. Before he could turn around and fully take in who was standing next to him, Allison's lips were on his and her hands were on the sides of his head. He didn't kiss her back at first because he was still trying to process who it was, but once his senses got caught up, he put his hands on her waist and kissed her back. He refrained from deepening the kiss, because he was still slightly unsure of where their relationship stood, since he was almost 75% convinced they had been broken up._

_Allison slowly pulled away from him, and looked up. "Hi." She smiled and bit her lip._

" _Hey," He replied softly._

" _Um," She began. "Look, I wanted to apologize for freezing you out the past week. I know I haven't been the best girlfriend-"_

" _We're still together?" He asked, genuinely befuddled. Her eyes widened in panic. "I just..." He quickly tried to clarify his statement. "I was under the impression when you told me to get out of your sight and that you couldn't look at me and didn't want to talk to me...that... that meant you were breaking up with me."_

_Allison shook her head. "I'm so sorry. I was...emotional and I took it out on you. I didn't mean for it to be a break up...I just... needed some time." Allison worried her bottom lip. "You didn't find a rebound girl or anything, did you?"_

" _No!" Stiles answered quickly, but smiled slowly. "I haven't had time. It was on my to-do list for this week."_

_Allison laughed and hit his arm playfully. "Shut up."_

_Stiles tucked a strand of Allison's hair behind her ear and lowered his voice. "Make me."_

_Their smiles faded when Malia walked into the school. It was like a scene out of a movie, slow motion, hair blowing, everyone stopping and looking at her. Walking with her were Isaac Lahey, Erica Reyes, and right next to her was Scott._

" _Is he really with them?" Allison asked. Stiles tore his gaze away from the group of wolves and slammed his locker door closed._

" _It sure looks that way." He sighed. "We got into a fight about it and currently we're not speaking to each other."_

" _He was able to resist Peter. Why isn't he able to resist her?"_

_Sties shook his head. "Maybe because she's the girl he's practically been in love with since the third grade?" Stiles could see the wheels turning in Allison's head. "What?"_

" _I've got an idea. You've had a pretty crappy couple of weeks and I wasn't much help, so I want to make it up to you."_

" _Um... okay?" Stiles was confused. "What are you going to do?"_

" _Just leave it to me." She smiled and kissed his lips once more before walking away._

* * *

_It turns out that what she had in mind was a double date. She somehow got the keys to the Beacon Hills Ice Rink. (She wouldn't reveal her source, but Stiles had a pretty good idea of whom she got them from.)_

_The other couple was Lydia and Aaron of course. Stiles was hoping that after tonight maybe Aaron would realize he had nothing to worry about when it came to Stiles and Lydia being anything more than friends._

_Aaron wasn't as steady on his skates as the other three. Lydia didn't mind showing off in front of her boyfriend though. Stiles and Allison clapped when she successfully landed a triple axle jump. (Aaron missed it because he had just fallen.) Lydia eventually took it upon herself to teach Aaron how to skate, and Allison and Stiles skated around the rink for probably half an hour before deciding to take a break and let the other couple continue their lesson._

" _Thank you." Stiles said suddenly after they changed out of their skates and began walking around the building.._

" _For what?" Allison asked him._

" _For...planning this...for getting me out of the house." He looked down as he sadly added, "For forgiving me for what happened with your aunt."_

" _Hey...what happened with Kate wasn't your fault and I'm sorry I ever blamed you for it. If anything, I should thanking you for forgiving me after I acted like a total bitch to you."_

" _You didn-"_

" _Stop, Stiles. You don't have to try to make me feel better. It wasn't just to you. I was a bitch to Lydia too. We should have all been coming together and instead, I was pushing everyone away. I may have had a right to be upset, but I was upset at the wrong people." Allison chuckled. "I actually had to force myself to be mad at you at one point. How silly does that sound?"_

_Stiles let out a small laugh. "It sounds a little silly."_

" _It sounds_ extremely _silly... and stupid and childish. But I couldn't stay mad at you..."Allison took a deep breath and Stiles smiled and looked away. "I couldn't stay mad at you because... I love you."_

_Stiles's head snapped up and he turned back to look at Lydia. "What did you just say?"_

_Allison smiled. "I said... I-"_

_Allison was cut off as a blood curdling scream echoed through the building._

_Stiles and Allison both jumped. "Lydia." They both surmised before running back to the ice._

_Lydia was on her knees in the middle of the rink, Aaron was knelt down next to her and she was just screaming. Stiles and Allison ran onto the ice, slipping and sliding until they reached her, crouching down beside her._

" _Lydia!" Stiles tried to get her attention, touching her shoulder. "What happened?" He asked Aaron._

" _I-I-I- don't know!" He stammered. "One minute she was fine, and the next..." He motioned to the state that she was in at the moment._

" _Lydia?" Allison tried._

" _Lydia!" Stiles yelled again. She suddenly stopped screaming, and the three friends looked around at each other. "Lyds?" He said softly._

_She was sobbing quietly now, as she slowly lifted her head to face Stiles. Her mascara was smeared and tears were still falling down her face. "I'm so sorry." She whispered shakily._

" _For what?" He asked, his heartbeat quickening in panic. Suddenly his phone began to ring in his pocket. Aaron and Allison both gave him a strange look as he reached for it. "It's my dad." He told them as he had the overwhelming desire to ignore the call and not face the news on the other line._


	30. Peter Hale and Ancient Rome

"Okay, what the hell was that?" Stiles exclaimed once he and Lydia were out of the school.

Lydia shook her head. "Something about that felt really off."

"It's Peter! Everything about him feels off!"

"What does he think he can help us with?"

"Hell, if I know."

Stiles swung his jeep door open and threw his stuff into the back.

"It just," Lydia continued. "It makes me curious."

Stiles stopped and stared at her for a moment. "You're not actually thinking about going back to ask him, are you?"

"No! I'm just..."

"Lydia, listen to me. You and I will figure it out; and after today, we'll have the pack to help us figure it out. If not...I'm sure there are plenty more people that we can go to that would help us a lot better than _Peter Hale_." Lydia nodded and the two of them climbed into the jeep.

"How much are we telling them?" Lydia asked once Stiles started the jeep.

He closed his eyes and let out a sigh, then slowly dropped his hand from the key and sat back in his seat.

* * *

"What is this meeting about?" Liam whined.

"I already told you." Scott growled. "Stiles and Lydia wanted to tell everybody something."

"Is it that they're together?" Corey asked. "Because if so..."

"That's not it." Scott informed him quickly, then wrinkled his forehead in thought. "At least...I don't think that's what it is." He looked at Kira, who only shrugged.

"I'm just saying," Corey continued. "As long as Hayden and I have known them they barely talk to each other, but when they're in the same room together you can cut the sexual tension with a knife."

"I think that's just regular tension." Mason corrected. "And it's because everyone in the room gets tense when they're around each other."

Corey opened his mouth to reply, when the front door opened. Lydia stepped inside and Stiles was behind her with a hand on her back.

"Hand on the back," Corey whispered to Mason. "Told you."

"Look, idiots." Hayden whispered harshly at the two boys. "Stiles just broke up with Allison."

"Oh, please!" Liam got in on the whisper argument. "Those two haven't had any spark for like a year. Breaking up with Allison is not a valid point for your argument."

"I'll be right back." Lydia mumbled quickly. "I'm going to change clothes really quick." She dropped her bag and ran upstairs.

"Wait..." Mason began. "She left her bag."

"Yeah, so?" Hayden was confused.

"So, then where are her clothes?"

"Wait!" Liam whisper-exclaimed. "Is she living here?"

Corey shrugged. "Like I said. Those two are-"

"Hey, what are you guys talking about?" Stiles asked. The four sophomores turned to look at him.

"Nothing." They all replied.

There was a knock at the front door and Scott answered it. "Did I miss anything?" They heard Isaac's voice and Stiles groaned.

"See?" Hayden whispered. "He's still pissed about Isaac sleeping with his girlfriend."

" _Ex-_ girlfriend." Stiles corrected, and the sophomores jumped. "Yeah, I may not have super-hearing, but you guys aren't exactly being that quiet either."

"Sorry." They mumbled their apologies. Lydia made her way back down in sweatpants and a t-shirt and the sophomores exchanged looks with each other again.

"Okay." Lydia began when she went to stand in front of everybody. "Let's get this over with." Stiles stood next to her and Scott, Isaac and Kira all sat down. "So... I'm assuming you guys are all wondering why we wanted this meeting."

Lydia found Stiles hand with her own and he gave it a squeeze. "We've sort of been dealing with something and trying to figure it out on our own and-"

"And there's other stuff going on that may be more important than this...Allison missing, people dying, and _Peter_... but maybe it's all connected somehow." Lydia didn't seem so sure of that.

"What's going on, guys?" Hayden asked.

"Well," Stiles spoke up. "You guys know that Lydia was sleep walking."

Everyone nodded, but Lydia interjected, "Oh, and by the way. If you guys are looking for me, I'm living here for the time being." The sophomores exchanged glances again. "It's just safer this way..." She trailed off, but took another deep breath. "Um...I've got...holes...in my memory." She looked at Stiles. "Stiles too." They nodded at each other and Stiles lifted his shirt.

"I was shot."

"When?!" Scott gasped.

"That's the thing. I don't remember it happening, and it's not like I can recover from a bullet wound without any of you knowing about it either."

"And then..." Lydia continued. "Well.. I should probably be waiting about five or six weeks before telling you guys...but you would figure it out before then anyway." She shook her head. "Maybe you should just hear for yourselves." Everyone got silent for several moments, the few that didn't have super-hearing just looked around confused.

"Oh my god." Hayden finally muttered.

"What is it?" Mason asked.

"I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be hearing." Liam said honestly.

"There are only nine people in the room." Hayden tried to explain.

"Yeah, and?" Liam was still confused.

"So-" Hayden tried, but Isaac interrupted her.

"So, then why are there 10 heartbeats?"

"Oh, my God! Lydia!" Kira exclaimed. "Are you pregnant?"

Lydia nodded softly.

"So you cheated on Allison, got the banshee pregnant then broke up with her because she cheated on you?" Isaac snapped at Stiles.

Stiles made a move for Isaac, but Lydia put her hand out to stop him.

"Stiles didn't cheat on Allison." Lydia spoke up for him. "Not with me anyway...and if this baby _did_ belong to Stiles, then I don't think it can be considered cheating when neither of us remember it happening."

"So, let me get this straight." Liam began. "You," he pointed at Stiles. "Have a healed bullet wound, but don't remember getting shot, and you," he looked at Lydia. "Are pregnant but don't remember getting pregnant?" The two exchanged looks and nodded. "So, then what do you guys think happened?"

"I couldn't begin to tell you." Lydia said.

"There's one theory." Stiles spoke up. "I mean, it's not a lot to go on, but things have felt different since the night of Allison's party. When we ended up at the nemeton."

"Oh, there's a bright idea," Isaac scoffed. "Blame the magic tree stump!"

"Hey, Isaac," Stiles snapped. "How about you shut the fuck up?"

"Stiles, calm down." Lydia tried.

"How can I calm down when that bastard is being a hypocritical jerk? What's his purpose anyway? He should have left instead of Allison. At least she would have been helpful."

"You don't mean that." She turned back to Isaac, "He doesn't mean that." She didn't notice the confused looks on everybody's faces.

"Yes, I do! I wish he never came into our lives!"

"Stiles!"

"He's infuriating! All he's ever done is judge, when he has no right to!" He looked up to see Isaac still standing there looking bewildered. "What are you still doing there?"

"He has a right to be here. He's part of the pack. You" She poked his chest. "Need to calm. The fuck. Down." She rubbed his arm lightly. "Okay? Deep breaths."

Stiles did as he was told, closing his eyes to block everything else out. When he reopened them everyone was still staring at the two of them.

"What?" Stiles asked.

"Oh, good!" Kira sighed. "We're back to English."

"Back to?" Stiles questioned. "What do you mean 'back to' English. We never _left_ English."

"No," Corey shook his head. "You guys definitely took a holiday somewhere else."

"Somewhere like Ancient Rome." Mason said, looking at his phone. He looked up and handed the phone over. "You guys were speaking Latin." He'd recorded a bit of their conversation, and it was most certainly not in English.

"But I don't know Latin." Stiles attempted to argue.

Scott shrugged. "Maybe you learned it when you were recovering from being shot."

Lydia rubbed her temples and sat down. "What the hell is happening?"

Stiles was replaying the video that Mason took. He heard himself speaking Latin, but understood everything he was saying. "Seriously? Latin? How could I know Latin?"

Liam spoke up, "Have you guys thought about Scott doing his claw thing. And maybe he could figure it out? Or maybe hypnosis?"

Lydia and Stiles exchanged looks, but Scott shook his head. "I'm afraid I'll hurt you. Maybe we should try hypnosis first? I'm sure Deaton could help us."

Stiles nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess we could try that."

Lydia sighed. "Changing topics slightly...Peter knows and thinks he can help."

"For the last time," Stiles began. "We are not trusting Peter."

"I know, Stiles. I'm just letting everyone else know that he's trying to help." She turned back to the rest of the pack "Which means he's got some sort of motive, but he wouldn't tell us what it was."

Scott took a deep breath. "Like I said last week when he showed up again, we take everything he says with a grain of salt. He hasn't given us a reason to trust him yet."

"Of course not. It's Peter." Stiles.

"Well.." Kira started slowly, "While we're having this meeting, has anybody heard from Allison, or do we know anything more about Mrs. Finch's death?"

Scott shook his head. "I haven't heard anything about Allison. And the last thing I heard from Deaton was that he thought it was voodoo."

"Since when did we start living in the Bayou?" Stiles rolled his eyes.

"It was just a theory." Scott shrugged. "And unfortunately, there's not much else we can tell from Mrs. Finch. We need another body."

"So, what?" Isaac asked. "We're just supposed to sit around and wait for someone else to die?"

"For right now...yeah."

"This is bullshit." Isaac grumbled. He turned to Stiles and Lydia, shooting daggers with his glare. "Congratulations on your bundle of joy. I'm out of here."

The entire room jumped when the door slammed behind him.

"Well it took him long enough." Stiles mumbled under his breath.

Lydia quickly ran out of the room, and a moment later they heard the bathroom door slam.

"Are you going to go after Isaac?" Kira asked Scott.

"No...I'll give him some time."

"I don't understand why he needs to be coddled."

"We get it!" Scott finally snapped at his brother. "You don't like Isaac. You've never liked him, and him sleeping with your girlfrien-"

"Ex girlf-"

" _Alliso_ _n_. Him sleeping with Allison didn't help, but you need to stop."

"The past few weeks have been absolute shit for me. Do you not get that? This whole meeting was about us asking for help because we both feel like we're losing our goddamn minds and all he did was throw a tantrum and leave. And instead of going after him and yelling at him for acting like a child, you yell at me?"

"Stiles, I-" Scott began softly, realizing how hurt his brother was, but Stiles interrupted him.

"No, Scott...I expected more sympathy from you. From my _brother._ Especially after what I told you this morning. What I _just_ found out." Stiles was referring to the miscarriage, but he and Lydia decided that it wasn't anybody else's business to know about it just yet, so he was avoiding saying it out loud. "I hope you never have to know what that feels like, but if you did, I hope _you_ don't get yelled at for showing the slightest disdain toward the person responsible."

Scott cocked his head in confusion. Stiles just shook his and went back toward the bathroom Lydia had just gone into.

"Is it just me," Corey began. "Or have these pack meetings been getting more and more dramatic?"

Mason and Liam nodded, and Hayden just shook her head rolled her eyes.

 


	31. Flashback 2.4

_Stiles didn't hear much after he answered the phone. His dad mentioned words like "accident" and "hospital," but at that point, Stiles was already stumbling back across the ice. Allison insisted on going with him, and Aaron opted to finish calming Lydia down then locking up for them- promising to get the keys to Allison before school the next day._

" _Dad?!" Stiles called as he stormed into the emergency room. His father was standing at the nurse's station, no doubt having some sort of argument, and quickly turned around to catch his son in his arms._

_The Sheriff had a cut above his right eye, but other than looked perfectly unscathed._

" _What happened? Where's mom? Is she okay? She...she's going to be okay, right?"_

_Noah was quiet for some time and Stiles barely felt Allison's hand on his shoulder._

" _She said something wasn't right." He began. "I was taking her here when this car just came out of nowhere."_

" _Dad...is she okay?"_

_The sheriff shook his head. "I don't know."_

" _Stilinski?" A doctor called._

_The older man's head shot up, "That's me!"_

" _Mr. Stilinski, how about we step back here." Stiles felt his blood run cold and he knew his father had a similar feeling of dread wash over him as he nodded slowly and followed the doctor back._

" _Stiles?" He heard Allison say, but she sounded so far away. "Stiles, you need to breathe."_

" _I ca...I can't." He was finally able to gasp out. He was faintly aware he was being pulled over to the chairs and being forced to sit down. Allison held his hand and rubbed small circles on the back of it._

_Her voice stayed calm and even as she asked, "Have I told you about the first time Nic started walking?" Stiles shook his head. "It was the June after he was born. He'd been pulling himself up for awhile and was standing on his own and I just knew that he was about to st art walking soon." She paused to gauge his reaction. Stiles was trying to focus on her, and that was all that mattered. "I was sitting on the couch, reading a book, with the TV on in the background. I wasn't paying attention to what was happening on the screen. All of a sudden, I catch movement out of the corner of my eye and it's Nic," She smiled proudly. "Walking toward the television. He put his hand on the screen...and it's then that I realize I have absolutely no idea what I was watching, but there was a naked woman on the television and my son's hand is trying to squeeze her boob through the glass."_

_Stiles let out a chuckle, the story distracting him long enough to catch his breath. "What'd you do?"_

" _Well, I turned it off, and then told him how happy I was that he walked." She shrugged. "If I freaked him out, he would never want to walk again."_

_Stiles smiled and nodded. Softly, he added, "Thank you."_

" _You're welcome." She told him, then kissed his cheek._

_He was quiet for a moment, before looking around suddenly. "I wonder where Scott is."_

* * *

" _I brought you a water." Malia said as she walked back into her room, balancing two glasses of water and a phone._

_Scott sat up on her bed and pulled the sheet around him as he reached for the glass. "Is that my phone?"_

" _Yeah, it kept lighting up, so I grabbed it." Malia told him as she handed it over to him. She climbed back into the bed, and pressed a kiss on his shoulder as she felt his body go rigid. "What's wrong?" She asked, immediately sensing the anxiety coursing through him._

" _I have to get to the hospital."_

_Scott ran into the emergency room, looking around for anyone he recognized._

" _Scott!" He heard his name and whipped his head around to see Aubrey standing there in her scrubs. She looked like she had been crying, but the worst part was the smell of grief radiating off of her._

" _Aubrey...what happened…where's my mom?"_

_Aubrey looked back at Malia, and whispered, "Maybe you and I should go talk in private."_

" _No." Scott said adamantly. "Just tell me."_

" _There was accident." She said solemnly._

" _And…is she okay?"_

_Aubrey took a deep breath. "She's in a coma."_

_Scott felt like he shrank two feet. "What?"_

" _The doctors aren't sure she'll come out of it."_

_He took a few deep breaths and he felt Malia touch his arm._

" _What….uh….what about the babies?" He asked slowly._

_Aubrey's eyes started to tear up as she shook her head slightly. "There's just one."_

_Scott felt like the wind got knocked out of him. "Oh."_

" _It had nothing to do with the accident." Aubrey quickly told him. "Mel thought something was wrong before…they were headed here when the accident happened."_

* * *

" _Hey, look it's Scott." Allison said as she and Stiles came back toward the waiting room._

_Once the doctor had explained everything to Noah, he went back to update Stiles. The Sheriff went to see Melissa while Stiles and Allison had taken a walk around the hospital.._

_Stiles looked up, searching for his brother. Allison continued, "It looks like he's talking to Aaron's mom."_

_Stiles spotted Aubrey's auburn hair and felt tears begin to burn in his eyes. Scott locked eyes with his brother, and Aubrey must have seen him look off, because she turned around to look at Stiles too._

_Stiles walked quickly toward Aubrey, throwing his arms around her as she tightly hugged him back. "Hey, kiddo." She whispered as she rubbed his back. Aubrey had been like another mother to him for a while and somehow her hug made it all feel okay._

_Stiles wiped his eyes as he pulled away from her, and his hand found Allison's. He looked from Scott to Malia, and tried to ignore the feeling of anger rising up inside of him._

" _I said I'm fine!" They heard a guy's voice yell. Stiles felt Allison's hand clench around his. He didn't think much of it, just that maybe the sudden outburst had startled her._

_Aubrey sighed, giving a displeased glance in the direction the voice came from. "I've got to get back to work. Let me know if you need anything."_

" _Get off of me!" The voice said again and this time, Stiles noticed Scott's eyes begin to glow slightly, before Malia grabbed his hand to calm him down._

" _Stiles, let's go." Allison whispered urgently in his ear._

_Stiles nodded and started to walk away when a guy stumbled out into the waiting area. He was young, probably a couple of years older than them. He heard Allison give a small gasp and suddenly balk in her steps._

" _Ali? Are you okay?" Stiles turned and asked Allison who looked like she had just seen a ghost._

_The guy looked up, a smirk playing at his lips. "Well…look who it is." He took a step toward Stiles and Allison. Allison took a step back, and Malia took a step toward him, flashing her red eyes. He almost laughed. "You think that scares me? I've got a pair of those too." His eyes glowed red and Malia let out a low growl. He kept his sinister smile as he looked back at Allison. "So…Al…It's been a while."_

" _Look, Buddy," Stiles said suddenly, bravery coming out of nowhere. "I don't know who you are, but she obviously doesn't like you, so how about you just keep walking." Truthfully, he had an idea about who this guy was…not just in the way he related to Allison. Stiles had also heard whispers of the person driving the car that hit his parents being in the room that this guy had just come out of._

" _Al, I'm hurt." He clutched his chest dramatically. "You don't talk about me?"_

" _There's not much to say, Jackson. You were kind of forgettable."_

" _Forgettable, huh? How_ is _our kid?"_

" _He's_ my _kid."_

_Jackson took another step forward, and Malia and Scott each took a step toward him, Stiles and Allison standing their ground this time._

" _I think it's time for you to leave." Scott growled._

_Jackson let out a laugh again, "Fine. Whatever you say. See you later, Al."_

_Once Jackson was gone, Stiles turned back to Allison. "So, let me guess…Nic's dad?"_

_Allison nodded. "I heard he became an alpha, but…" She looked back at Malia. "Thank you… for stepping in."_

_Malia nodded. "I know you guys don't like me that much, but you're still friends of Scott. Plus, he's stepping in my territory."_

_They were quiet for a few moments, before Scott sighed and looked up at Stiles. "Do you think Mom will be okay?"_

_Stiles took a deep breath, before clapping his brother on the back. "I hope so."_

* * *

" _Are you sure you're okay?" Aaron asked Lydia, for the umpteenth time that night. They'd finally made it back to her house and her eyes were ready to close._

" _I'm fine!" She snapped. "I don't know what happened, okay?"_

" _And you don't remember anything you said or why you said it?"_

_Lydia shook her head. "No idea." She lied. She remembered it all too clearly. "Thank you for taking me home." She whispered before climbing out of the car._


	32. Laughter and Hypnosis

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know you had to wait an extra week for this chapter and I'm so sorry! I went to a Simple Plan concert last weekend, and it was my first time seeing them live. They've been one of my favorite bands since I was 14/15 and I got VIP passes to meet them afterwards and it was incredible...(fun fact: Simple Plan fanfiction was the first fanfiction that I wrote...and it wasn't that great lol) Anyway, it turns out... while Simple Plan is great muse music for angst, it wasn't really what I needed for this chapter and I kind of hit a wall last Monday with my writing. So, I had to take a step back and let it breathe for a little bit before I was able to come back and finish the chapter. I also tried to make it a little bit longer since I made you guys wait, but I'm not so sure I succeeded on that front.
> 
> Anyway, I just wanted to thank you guys for your patience. You're awesome!

 

Stiles woke up drenched in sweat, and realized it wasn't for any reason other than the fact that Lydia had apparently gotten warm in the middle of the night. She had kicked all of the covers off of her and onto him.

Stiles sighed as he got up and decided to cool off downstairs. He noticed the light in the living room was still lit, then saw his father sitting in the chair. His stomach clenched as he realized the conversation that needed to be had.

"You're still awake?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah." The older man groaned. "Your brother woke me up-"

"Ugh..."Stiles made face. "Did Kira stay over?"

Noah's eyes shined with confusion for a moment, before a look of horror replaced it. "Oh God…not Scott…your _little_ brother."

"Oh!" Stiles chuckled. "Sorry for putting that image in your head."

The sheriff shook his head. "It's fine…but yeah…I couldn't get back to sleep after that, so I'm just reading." He held up a book that he'd had in his lap. Stiles nodded and sat down. His leg bounced anxiously as he tried to think about how to bring it up. Noah, who had gone back to reading, looked up over his book and saw his son's expression. "Stiles?"

"Yeah?"

"Did you want to say something?"

"Yes." He nodded and began wringing his hands.

There was more silence. The sheriff took a deep breath as he put his book down. "Is this about the picture you showed me on accident?"

Stiles nodded, biting his lip as he tried to hold back the emotion creeping up inside of him.

His father sighed, "Stiles, you don't need to-"

"No..." He looked up and met the older man's gentle eyes. "I _do_ need to. I just... I don't know how to start." Noah nodded and sat back, waiting for his son to continue. There were a few more moments of silence before Stiles finally said. "I didn't know." His father sat forward slightly, ready to take in everything the boy was about to tell him. "She didn't tell me she was pregnant. She kept it to herself for a year...and when she finally did tell me last year..she said she'd had an abortion." He swallowed a lump in the back of his throat. "Except...I just found she had a miscarriage. And somehow, it's different. I mean, for a year, I guess I just assumed that she immediately decided she didn't want to have my kid and took care of it...That she never wanted it and I didn't know about it, and I guess I was sad... but I was just more angry at her than anything. It feels like I didn't know it was real until the other day. Like maybe I subconsciously thought she was lying about the whole thing...you know...proof or didn't happen." He sniffed. So far, he was doing a good job keeping the tears at bay, but he wasn't sure he'd be able to hold them off much longer. "But then, she told me she was going to keep it, that she was about to tell me . And she showed me the sonogram, and it was like this weight of realization came crashing down on me." A sob escaped his chest and the older man's eyes were glassy with tears of his own. "There was a baby...and it was wanted and loved...and then...it died..and I just..." His breathing was becoming erratic and the sheriff was suddenly wrapping his arms around his son, silently telling him he didn't have to say anything else. That he understood. Stiles was gripping the back of his father's shirt as his tears soaked the shoulder. They sat for several minutes, not moving, until Stiles was able to get his breathing back under control, but even then they didn't separate. "When you found out the other baby died...how did you get over it?"

The sheriff shook his head and whispered, "I haven't."

The two guys talked for awhile longer before turning on a movie. Stiles ended up falling asleep on the couch. When he woke up, he realized his arms were wrapped around somebody. Lydia. He figured it out without opening his eyes when he heard her sigh. He felt her begin to stir and loosened his grip on her in case she needed to get up.

He finally opened one eye and saw her sitting up and looking down at him.

"Were you sleepwalking again?" He asked her.

She shook her head. "I woke up and you weren't there. I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn't and you never came back, so I came to look for you."

Stiles smiled sleepily and looked down at his hand  that was lightly playing with hers.

Heavy footsteps coming down the stairs abruptly pulled them from their thoughts.

"What are you doing? Why aren't you guys dressed?" Scott asked as he appeared in front of them fully clothed.

"Shit, what time is it?" Lydia asked as she searched for a clock.

"Time to leave." Scott answered. As Stiles struggled to sit up, Scott added, "I spoke to Deaton. Mentioned we may need to help you guys remember something and suggested hypnosis. He said to come by after school."

Stiles groaned. "Would it be so bad if we _skipped_ school?"

Lydia huffed and stood up. "We are _not_ skipping school."

* * *

 

"We should have skipped school." Lydia groaned from the floor of the bathroom. As soon as they walked into the school a powerful wave of nausea had washed over her and she'd barely made it to the bathroom in time. Stiles followed her in to hold her hair back.

"I don't want to say 'I told you so….'

"Then don't." Lydia groaned and leaned back against the stall. "You know…you probably shouldn't be in here. If a teacher caught you in here-"

"I don't care." She smiled up at him, and they heard the door open.

"Lydia?" Kira whispered.

"She's in here." Stiles said and peeked his head out of the stall.

Kira gave a relieved sigh, and went over to them. "Scott said you were in the bathroom, but he didn't tell me which one... so this is the third one I've checked." She was digging around in her purse and finally found what she was looking for. "I brought you gum." She held out three packs. "I wasn't sure which one was going to be better, so I've got minty, fruity, and bubble gumm-y."

"Awe Kira… thank you." She looked at the packs of gum and pointed. "I'll take minty."

Kira gave her a piece, and took a deep breath. "You should also know that your mom is looking for you."

Lydia groaned as she popped the gum in her mouth.

"I was hoping she wouldn't be working this week."

"I don't think she is…" Kira said slowly, "She's just here for you."

Lydia mumbled a curse under her breath, and Stiles stifled a laugh.

"I can't do this today."

"You're going to have to tell her eventually." Stiles reasoned.

"Yeah, but I wanted _eventually_ to be after I found out more information. She's going to ask for details and I don't have any to give her."

"Tell her it's mine." He suggested without blinking.

Lydia's head whipped toward him "What?"

"I mean... you don't have to tell her that there was anything supernatural involved in it. Just tell her we hooked up and accidents happen." He shrugged.

"Stiles," Lydia began slowly. "My mother hates you. You know this."

"Yeah, but so what?"

Lydia shook her head. "I'm not going to pull you into my drama-"

"Lydia," Stiles grabbed her hands in his. She looked down at them before looking back at his face. "I already told you that I would be there for you no matter what. I'm 10 feet deep in the drama already, and telling your mother you're pregnant with my kid is not a far stretch."

Lydia took a deep breath. "Okay...maybe that's what I'll tell her... but...I don't want to tell her today."

"Okay," Stiles nodded. "So then what do you suggest we do?"

"Let's leave. Let's go see Deaton right now. Maybe we can get some answers, and then I can tell her what really happened. Or a version of it at least."

"I'll help you sneak out." Kira, who they had forgotten was standing there the entire time, piped up. She helped keep Ms. Martin distracted long enough for Lydia and Stiles to get out to the parking lot.

As they were walking toward jeep, the older woman's unmistakable voice was heard yelling across the concrete.

"Lydia! Stiles! Get back here!"

The two teens shared a look, before Stiles whispered. "Run." And they took off toward the blue jeep. Stiles pulled out of the parking spot quickly and peeled out of the parking lot. Once they were on the road, Lydia started laughing.

"What?" Stiles chuckled, as the laughter became infectious.

"Did you see her face? Oh my God..." Lydia could barely contain her giggles. "She was so pissed."

Stiles began to laugh too. "I'm pretty sure there was steam coming out of her ears."

It took several minutes of laughter before they were finally able to stop and catch their breaths.

"Wow..." Lydia said after her breathing began normal again. "I can't remember the last time I laughed like that." A smiled stayed etched on her face.

"It's definitely been awhile." Stiles agreed. Lydia kept her gaze in his direction as he looked back and forth from her to the road. "What?" He finally asked her.

"It was with you." She whispered.

"What was with me?"

"The last time I laughed like that." His hand was resting in his lap and Lydia reached over to lace her fingers with his. "I don't remember what it was about, but I always laugh my hardest when I'm with you." Stiles looked down at their entwined hands and lifted them up to kiss the back of hers. Lydia bit the inside of her lip to stop herself from blushing.

The rest of the ride was in a comfortable silence, their hands never separating.

* * *

 

"Oh!" Deaton was surprised when Lydia and Stiles walked into the clinic. "I wasn't expecting you until this afternoon."

Lydia took a deep breath. "I just need answers."

Deaton nodded. "Flip the sign." Stiles did what the vet had asked and the two of them went to the exam room. Dr. Deaton grabbed the small table a couple of chairs from the waiting room and brought them in, setting them up next to the metal slab. He pulled a candle out of a cabinet and set it on the small table he'd brought in.

"Okay, who's going first?"

Stiles looked over at Lydia, who seemed like she was a little nervous. "I will." He volunteered.

"Alright, have a seat." Stiles did as he was told. "What is it that you're trying to remember?"

Stiles explained the bullet wound and Deaton began to lead him into the hypnosis.

"Think about getting shot." Deaton said softly. "Think about the way the bullet felt as it entered your abdomen." Lydia was the one biting her thumbnail and cringing as Deaton spoke. "What do you see?" The doctor asked.

"Nothing." Stiles said evenly. "It's blank. It's like...it never happened." Deaton tried a different approach, but half an hour later, and there was still nothing, so he brought him back out.

"I don't understand." Deaton said. "Hypnosis is used to bring out repressed memories. You should have remembered _something_. I don't know why you didn't." Stiles and Deaton both looked to Lydia. "Do you want to try?"

Lydia took a deep breath and nodded slowly before trading spots with Stiles. Lydia explained to Deaton what she needed to remember and while he was a little taken aback, he still nodded- very professionally- and began to lead her under.

When Lydia woke up, she was on her back, and Stiles was breathing a sigh of relief as blood trickled out of his ear.

"What happened?" She whispered.

"As soon as you were under you stopped responding to Deaton." Stiles told her as he helped her sit up. "You were shaking and then you screamed and passed out."

"It was almost like you had the complete opposite reaction that Stiles did. Where he saw nothing, it was like you saw everything. Like you were overloaded with information."

"Do you remember anything?" Stiles asked her.

As Deaton explained, she remembered seeing flashes of different situations. She couldn't remember any specifics, but one face stuck out in her mind. She nodded in answer to Stiles's question and looked up him at him. "You." She whispered. "I just remember you."


	33. Flashback 2.5

  _The next several weeks happened in a blur._

_It became necessary to Melissa's health for the doctors to deliver the surviving twin, a boy that Melissa and Noah had already decided on naming Elijah. The doctors weren't sure if Eli would be able to survive once he was born, and they also were not completely sure that delivering the baby, would mean that Melissa would make a full recovery. The one thing they knew is that if they didn't deliver the baby, they would both die anyway. The options were presented to the sheriff and he, with much coaxing from the professionals, chose to deliver the baby in an attempt to save both of their lives._

_Elijah had a rough first couple of days before Deaton mentioned to Scott his werewolf powers might come in handy. Scott brought up the subject of kangaroo care and skin to skin contact with Eli's doctors, and they agreed to let him try. In the matter of a few days, they could see a remarkable difference in the tiny infant, and a few weeks later he was actually allowed to go home._

_Unfortunately, Melissa still showed no change and it looked like she was going to be spending Christmas in the hospital._

* * *

_Lydia became withdrawn. She didn't know how she knew about Elijah's twin dying or Melissa's coma before anybody else. Aaron couldn't seem to let it go. He wanted to know what she saw and why she screamed, but she didn't know how to tell him. One day, she remembered how Allison's uncle called her a "banshee." Lydia researched banshees and Celtic folklore for weeks before deeming herself crazy after waking up with a bloodied fist from seemingly punching a mirror in the middle of the night. She wouldn't talk with the rest of the pack, or sit with them at lunch. Instead, she opted to sit in the library._

" _Stiles!"_

_Stiles was holding Allison's hand as they leaned against the locker, when he heard Aaron's voice. His head swiveled around to see the former captain coming up to him._

" _Aaron…hey? What's up?" Stiles was slightly confused. Aaron barely talked to him outside of practice._

" _Can I…talk to you?" Stiles looked at Allison and was about to make up an excuse (because to be honest, this was the guy that punched him in the middle of a game and he was a little nervous to be alone with him), but then Allison smiled._

" _Actually, Nic has a doctor's appointment so, I need to be leaving." She kissed his lips quickly. "See you later." Then she walked away._

_Stiles adjusted the straps on his backpack and shifted his feet as he turned back to Aaron. "What did you want to talk about?"_

" _Lydia."_

_Stiles groaned and shook his head. "Look, I've barely seen Lydia in weeks, so whatever you think is happening with us-"_

" _Wait, that's…that not what I was going to say."_

" _Oh…Well…if you were going to ask for advice then…"_

" _That's really not it either."_

" _Then what is it?"_

" _I'm worried about her."_

_Stiles felt a jolt of…_ something _…and gripped his straps tighter. "What do you mean? What's wrong?"_

" _That's just it…she won't tell me." He took a deep breath. "She's been acting weird ever since that night at the ice rink. I took her home and I could tell that something was wrong…I think she saw something…Somehow she knew what happened with your mom. And she wouldn't talk to me about it. And now… I mean… you said you've barely seen her in weeks…well… I haven't either."_

_Stiles licked his lips and shook his head. "Why are you telling me this?"_

_Aaron sighed. "Because as much as it bothers me…the two of you…you guys have something…and I think she just needs you."_

_Stiles looked down. "Aaro-"_

" _Look, Stilinksi. I'm not mad about it. Just…help her out. Please." Aaron looked like he was about to be in tears._

_Stiles nodded. "Yeah…okay."_

" _Thanks." He mumbled and walked away. Stiles released the long breath he had been holding, made sure his locker was locked, and walked out._

* * *

_Lydia was laying on her bed with the lights turned off when she heard the_ thump _at her window. She hugged the covers around her tighter, worried about what that_ thump _could mean. She heard it again and sat up quickly, looking over to the window. The sun was setting and casting an orange glow into the bedroom._

" _Lydia!"_

" _Stiles?" She whispered. She finally got up and went to her window and looked down, seeing her dorky best friend standing on the ground below, a rock in his hand. She lifted the window and stuck her head out. "Stiles! What the hell are you doing?"_

" _Can I come in?"_

" _Why couldn't you just knock on the door like a normal person?"_

_He gave her a confused look. "I did. I've been knocking for like…"He looked at his watch. "10 minutes. Also, you weren't answering your phone."_

" _Oh…" She shook her head quickly. "Sorry. I'll meet you at the front door." She closed the window and made her way down the stairs. When she opened the door, Stiles was standing there patiently. "So…what are you doing here?"_

_Stiles shrugged. "I haven't seen you in a while." He looked down and fidgeted for a bit. "Aaron said he hasn't seen you in awhile either." Lydia groaned and looked away. "I mean…" He continued. "You not talking to me is one thing, but not talking to Aaron…I figured that meant something was wrong…so…"He shrugged his backpack off his shoulders and reached in pulling out each item as he said it, "I brought candy, popcorn, and Dirty Dancing."_

_Lydia couldn't stop the tears from welling up in her eyes before she threw her arms around Stiles's neck. It took him a moment to register what was happening, but when he did, he hugged her back tightly._

* * *

" _You know," Stiles began as he took a handful of popcorn. "I never really understood what was happening at this part."_

" _Seriously?" Lydia looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Stiles just shook his head and shrugged. She sighed and hugged the blanket closer to her. "She had an abortion, and then she had complications._

_Stiles looked from Lydia and back to the television. "Really?"_

_Lydia nodded. "Yeah."_

" _Huh..."_

_He was quiet for a little bit...long enough for Lydia to look back at his face. It was scrunched up the way it always looked when he was thinking about something. "What, Stiles?"_

" _Wha- I didn'-"_

" _I know you didn't say anything, but you've got that look, so what's on your mind?"_

_Stiles opened his mouth, but stopped and shook his head. "It's nothing."_

_Lydia picked up the remote and paused the movie, then turned back to him. "Tell me."_

_Stiles licked his lips, and adjusted himself on the couch. "It's just...I don't get how someone could have an abortion." Lydia's features began to contort in anger, before Stiles noticed and quickly continued to defend himself. "I mean... it's just...my dad is a mess right now. And yeah..I mean...maybe some of it has to do with my mom, but I can see how much it hurts for him to see just one baby when there was supposed to be two."_

" _It's different." She replied quietly as she tried not to think about how she knew the other baby had died before anybody else. "Your parents were looking forward to two babies. They loved them both. And I'm not saying that women who have abortions don't love their babies...sometime I think it's_ because _they love them that they go through with it. When they know that the life they can provide wouldn't be a good one." She took a deep breath and Stiles nodded softly. "My mom had one." Stiles looked back at her. "Before me." Lydia shrugged. "She was around our age and not in any position to raise a child. The guy was douchebag and dumped her when she told him. She did what she thought was best."_

" _But look at Allison...she was younger than us when she got pregnant and now she's got this super awesome kid."_

" _And it's not easy for her, I'm sure. But she had her dad and aun-" Stiles looked away. "Sorry." She winced, having temporarily forgotten the role that Stiles played in Kate's death (Or at least the role he blamed himself for). "The point is, she had people who supported her. My mom had nobody."_

" _I mean...I get it." He shrugged. "I just don't think I could do it. To me, it sort of feels like you're abandoning it before it even has a chance." He looked down at his hands ."Just like my mother abandoned me. I mean... she just left. I would never do that to my kid."_

_Lydia comfortingly rested her hand on Stiles's knee. He took a few deep breaths then grabbed the remote from Lydia's lap and hit 'play'. She pulled the blanket closer and let her head fall to his shoulder._


	34. Letters and Heart to Hearts

"Well what does that mean?" Stiles looked from Lydia, back to Deaton. Deaton shrugged and shook his head. Stiles looked back to Lydia who was rubbing her temples. "What was I doing?"

Lydia shook her head. "I don't remember. I just remember your face."

Stiles looked away again. "Well...you had Deaton hypnotize you so that you could remember how you got pregnant so does that mean that you and I-"

"I don't know, Stiles!" Lydia snapped, and Stiles jerked back slightly.

"Sorry." He mumbled after a moment of stunned silence.

Lydia took a deep breath. "It's fine." She stood up (maybe too quickly) and began to sway on her feet. Stiles reached his arms out to steady her. Once she found her footing again, she jerked away from him and stumbled, catching herself on the counter.

"Lydia, maybe you should sit down." Deaton suggested. "I think you may have hit your head on the floor. I should make sure you don't have a concussion."

Lydia looked around the room slowly.

"What's wrong?" Stiles asked her carefully.

"I don't know...It's like...I feel like things happened in here...things that never happened before."

"Like a dream?" Deaton questioned.

"Half of it feels like a dream...the other half is like-" She paused and looked at Stiles quizzically. "A nightmare."

"What?" he asked. "Why did you give me that look?"

"I don't know...I just...I feel like you said something like that before."

Stiles shrugged. "Maybe...it sounds like something I would say."

She shook her head. "Never mind." She pushed herself away from the counter. "I'm fine. Really."

Stiles's phone began to buzz and after a moment of staring at Lydia with uncertainty, he pulled his phone out of his pocket. "It's from Chris."

"Argent?" Lydia asked.

"What other Chris do we know?"

Lydia ignored the snark in his voice. "What does he want?"

Stiles stared at the phone for a long time. "He wants us to come over to the house. He says it's about Allison."

"Us as in the pack or..."

Stiles looked up and met her eyes. "Just me and you."

* * *

"Are you going to knock on the door or are you just going to stand there?" Lydia grumbled as she crossed her arms in front of her.

"I'm going to knock." He said, then nodded to himself in reassurance.

"Okay, then do it."

"I can't."

"well why not?"

"I just..." He took a step back away from the door. "Why do you think he just wanted us?"

"I don't know. But do you know who does?"

"Who?!" His head jerked toward her, hopeful.

"Argent." She stated bluntly. Stiles rolled his eyes, and Lydia continued, "So, if we just knock on the door then maybe-"

"What if she's dead."

Lydia froze a moment, a flash...a memory...popped into her thoughts.

" _Allison!" She screamed, her voice echoing in the tunnels, before collapsing onto Stiles's shoulder._

As quickly as it had come, it was gone. Lydia quickly shook herself out of the thought. "She's not."

"What makes you so sure?" Stiles asked.

"Because I'm a banshee, Stiles. I would feel it. I would know." Stiles nodded slowly. "So, let's just knoc-"

Suddenly, the door swung open and Argent quirked an eyebrow at them. "I was wondering how long the two of you were just going to stand there. I finally got tired of waiting. Come on in." He smiled and two teens exchanged looks before following him inside the house.

"See," Lydia whispered to Stiles. "He's smiling. That means that nothing bad happened."

"Have a seat." Argent told them.

Lydia looked around the room as she did as she was told. A picture, caught her eye. Two men and a little boy. Lydia had seen it a million times, but it was as if she was seeing it for the first time.

"Uh, who's that in the picture?" Lydia pointed.

Argent looked over to see what she was talking about. "Oh, that's me, my dad, and my uncle, Alexander. I think you may have met him at Kate's funeral."

"Why did you want us to come here?" Stiles asked before Lydia had a chance to respond.

Argent nodded and picked up two envelopes off of a desk. "These came in the mail today." He passed them over. One was addressed to Stiles and the other to Lydia. "There was one for me too. There's no return address on either of them, but it's Allison's handwriting." Stiles held the envelope in his hand and ran his fingers along his name.

"So this is what you wanted?" Stiles asked, "Just to give us these envelopes."

He nodded. "Her letter to me made it very clear she wanted the two of you to get these. I haven't opened them. I don't know what they say."

"Thanks." Stiles mumbled then stood quickly and walked out of the room, leaving Lydia and Argent staring at each other. A moment later, they heard the front door slam and Lydia jumped.

"I'm so sorry." She apologized for him.

Argent waved a hand in front of his face. "It's fine."

"You know, they broke up." Lydia didn't know why she said it. Maybe it was the awkwardness that Stiles left in his wake.

Argent nodded. "I did. She told me." He cleared his throat. "She also said that she accused you and him of…'He didn't finish his sentence. He didn't have to. "She told me that she didn't mean it." He shrugged. "Maybe that's what your letter says."

"Maybe." She looked over at the picture of the Argent men again and bit her lip. "Chris…can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Lydia looked down at her hands. "When Allison told you she was pregnant…what did you think?"

Argent's eyes widened, clearly not expecting this question. "Well, I... I was disappointed… not necessarily _in_ her, but _for_ her. For the decision she had to make to raise her child or not… and no matter what, I knew it wasn't an easy decision to make. Am I happy in the way this all turned out for her? No...but I love Nic and he's definitely made my life better." Lydia nodded slowly. "Why do you ask?" The strawberry blonde let out a sob, and quickly tried to cover her mouth, but it was as if that one sob had opened a floodgate. "Lydia? What's wrong?" It was then that Argent realized the banshee had been rubbing her stomach throughout their conversation. The older man sighed. "Lydia…are you…"

"I haven't told my mom yet. I don't know what to say." She wiped her eyes and sniffed. "It's impossible, but yet somehow it happened. I don't know how to explain it myself, much less how to explain it to her." She took a shaky breath. "She's going to think that I was careless..and maybe I was...but I just don't remember. I don't remember any of it."

Argent reached out and put a hand on her shoulder and Lydia buried her head into his chest.

* * *

Stiles was still staring at his unopened envelope when Lydia finally came out to the jeep.

"It was rude of you to leave like that." She told him bluntly as she climbed into the vehicle.

Stiles shook his head. "I had to get out of there... I thought I was going to have a panic attack." He looked over to Lydia and saw how puffy her eyes looked. "Have you been crying?"

She sighed. "The minute you left I started pouring my heart out to Argent for some stupid reason." Lydia shrugged. "I blame you."

Stiles let out a small laugh. "I'll take it." He looked over to her envelope that was still in her hand. "Have you opened yours yet?"

Lydia shook her head. "No. Not yet. What about you?"

He shook his head. "What could she possibly have to say?"

"I don't know...but it was obviously important to her. She only sent three letters. Maybe yours isn't from her? Maybe it's from Dominic. I mean...you were his best friend."

He smiled and nodded once. "Yes I was."

"So maybe it's his...or maybe she sent us some message that we have to decode to figure out some big bad, or maybe-"

"She didn't send Isaac one."

"What?"

"She and Isaac were more together the past few months than we were. But I got a letter and he didn't."

"Who says he didn't get a letter?" Lydia argued. "Maybe she's been communicating with him this whole time anyway."

Stiles scoffed. "That would be like him...wouldn't it?" He sighed and finally started the jeep.

"My mom is officially the only one who doesn't know about the baby."

"Not the _only_ one."

Lydia rolled her eyes. "The only one that's here and that matters." She took a deep breath. "It's just... every time I think about how that conversation would go...I just don't know what to say. I'm starting to think that waiting until Christmas isn't such a bad idea."

"With as many people who know...you know something is bound to come up sooner or later. You need to tell her before somebody else does."

"How? She's not going to believe the truth."

"Then lie." Lydia raised her eyebrow at him. "Or...half lie... tell the truth, but about the first time. She doesn't know about that, right?"

Lydia shook her head. "Nobody knew." She sighed. "I guess I kept that a secret because I was most worried about telling you. But I knew how it happened...I mean... I remember _very clearly_ how it happened." Her eyes flicked momentarily to the back seat. "It wasn't some big mystery it was just a...a fuck up. We made a mistake and I was prepared to take responsibility for it. This time is different though. I'm telling everyone, hoping I'll get answers. I just want someone to shed some light on what happened. I want someone to tell me how they saw me walk into a convenience store a month ago, sloppy drunk, hanging off of some guy."

"No you don't." He argued.

"Well, it wouldn't be ideal, but I'd rather that than be in this perpetual state of confusion, because I'm a miracle away from calling the Vatican."

Stiles let out a laugh. "Well, I told you before, but I'll be with you when you tell your mom if you want me there."

Lydia smiled and mumbled. "Thanks." They were quiet for a few moments before she spoke again. "Does Argent's uncle seem familiar to you?"

Stile shrugged, "Well, like Argent said, we met him at Kate's funeral... and I've seen that picture a thousand times."

"I have too, but today, I finally just _really_ saw it, and I feel like I know him from somewhere...and not like a younger version of the old man we met...I feel like I've seen him before as a younger guy."

"Maybe it's a banshee thing."

She shook her head. "It doesn't feel like that though. It's like it's right there on the tip of my tongue, but I can't think of it."

"I'm sure it'll come to you."

"Yeah...maybe."


	35. Flashback 2.6

" _It's officially winter break." Allison said happily before kissing her boyfriend._

" _I know." Stiles replied, a mischievous smile playing at his lips. "Which means that for the next two weeks we can spend so much more time together."_

" _Um..about that..." Allison took a step away from him and Stiles groaned._

" _What? What's happening?"_

" _Family trip to France?" Allison bit her lip. "Dad conveniently forgot to tell me...Well, he says he told me, but I don't think he did." Stiles didn't even attempt to hide the frustration on his face. "Hey," Allison said lightly and touched his arm. "What's wrong?"_

_Stiles huffed. "It's just...this is the first time I've had a girlfriend during the holidays. I was looking forward to the presents and kissing at midnight on New Years Eve."_

_Allison gave him a small smile. "I'll be back January 2nd...two days before we have to be back at school. We can do all of that then."_

_He shrugged. "It won't be the same."_

" _We'll make it our own." She sighed. "I've got to get home and pack. We're leaving the house at like 3 in the morning tomorrow." She kissed him, and when she pulled back they stared for a moment. Neither of them had said 'I love you' yet. Things had just been crazy in both of their lives the past few weeks and neither of them were sure when it was appropriate to say._

_They seemed to have mutually decided now was not the time. Allison walked away and Stiles waited until she'd disappeared out of the double doors._

_He sighed and slammed his locker door closed._

" _Whoa…" Lydia was standing right next to him. "Are you okay?"_

" _Fine." He grumbled._

" _Well, I hate to state the obvious here, but you don't seem fine."_

_Stiles took a deep breath and turned to walk with Lydia down the hall. "It's just…Allison just told me she's going to France for winter break."_

" _Oh...that means she's going to miss my party!"_

" _What party?"_

" _I decided to throw a holiday party. This weekend. You're coming." It wasn't a question._

" _I am?"_

" _Yes."_

_Stiles sighed. "I don't know about that, Lyd. Eli's home and Dad's been stressed-"_

" _Which is why my mother is planning a shindig of her own and invited your dad, begging him to bring the new baby so everyone can fawn all of over him."_

" _The baby or my dad?"_

" _The_ baby _, dumbass."_

_Stiles cracked a smile. "So when and where are these get-togethers supposed to be happening?"_

" _Saturday. Hers will be at our house, and mine will be at the lake house."_

_He nodded, "Okay."_

" _Speaking of the new baby...I haven't met him yet!"_

" _That's right!" He said in realization. "I mean...I don't blame you... you've had a lot going on. I have too."_

" _Well, let's go then! We can babysit and give your dad a break to do whatever...whether that's sleep or go to the hospital."_

_Stiles cocked his head at her. "You really don't have anything else to do?"_

" _Nope! Let's go!" She smiled._

_Stiles stared at her for a moment, wheels turning in his head. "Where's your car?"_

" _Uh..."She faltered. "My house."_

" _And why is it there?"_

" _Because Aaron drove me to school."_

" _So, you just want a ride, is that it?" Stiles laughed._

" _No!" Lydia insisted. "I really want to hang out with you and your baby brother."_

_Stiles shook his head. "I don't believe you, but I'm not going to argue with you."_

" _Well, it's the truth."_

* * *

" _Oh my God!" Lydia exclaimed quietly when she saw Elijah asleep in his crib. "He's so tiny!"_

" _Well, he was born almost three months early. As of the last weigh in, he's finally average newborn weight."_

" _He's so precious." She cooed and touched his cheek with the back of her forefinger. "I forget how small newborns are. You don't see them very often and they grow so fast._

" _Yeah...I know what you mean...I don't even remember Kayce ever being this small. I mean...I know she was..she just seems bigger in all of our pictures of her."_

" _But then again...you were smaller too."_

" _True."_

_Lydia looked up at Stiles and in a fleeting moment thought about how it felt standing next to him and looking down into a crib, and how natural it would be if they had a baby together in the future. The thought was gone as quickly as it came because, really...it was crazy._

* * *

" _So," Lydia began as the credits began to roll on the movie they were watching. "How's it going with you and Allison? I mean...aside from the whole surprise European vacation."_

_Stiles shrugged. "It's going good. Dominic really likes me."_

" _Well that's good!"_

" _Yeah...what about you and Aaron? I mean... I guess you're doing okay since he took you to school today...although he didn't take you home so..."_

_She sighed. "He didn't take me home because I told him I was babysitting Eli."_

_Stiles raised an eyebrow at her. "You told him you had plans before you made plans?"_

" _It's not how it sounds."_

" _How do you think it sounds?"_

" _It sounds like I didn't want him to take me home so I lied and then in an effort to rid the guilt of lying to him I made it true."_

" _So that's not what happened?"_

" _No, it...well..actually no...that's kind of it... but it's not like I'm trying to avoid him...well I mean... I am trying to avoid him, but-"_

" _Lydia!"Stiles interrupted. "What's going on?"_

" _He told me he loved me." She blurted._

_Stiles' s eyes widened. "Oh!"_

" _This morning...on the way to school."_

" _And you..."_

" _Didn't say anything. I sort of pretended like I didn't hear him and he didn't say anything else about it, so..." She shrugged._

" _So, he just said 'I love you' and you just...sat there?"_

" _Well, it was like an off-handed comment. He said something and I sort of corrected him and he was like 'That's why I love you.'"_

" _But you don't love him..."_

" _I don't know." Lydia groaned. "Do you love Allison?"_

_Stiles nodded ."Yeah... I do..."_

" _Have you told her?" Stiles looked as if he was in deep thought about something. "Stiles?" She asked after several moments of silence._

" _What time is it?" He suddenly asked._

" _Um..."Lydia pulled out her phone and her eye widened. "Holy shit! It's almost 2:45 in the morning!"_

" _I've got to go!" He exclaimed and clambered to his feet._

" _Wait, where are you going?"_

" _Just stay here until I get back!" He was telling her as he hopped around on one foot while attempting to put his tennis shoes on._

" _What? Why?"_

" _Well, Dad left for the hospital a couple of hours ago and Scott hasn't made it home. Someone needs to stay with the baby."_

" _I meant, why are you leaving."_

" _There's something I have to do!"_

_He grabbed his keys and ran out the door. Lydia jumped when it closed and a moment later Eli began to cry._

" _Ugh.. Stiles." She grumbled before heading up the stairs to check on the infant._

* * *

_Allison was holding Dominic as she walked out of her house when she saw Stiles's blue jeep race into her driveway._

" _Stiles?" She questioned when he ambled out of the jeep out of breath. "What the hell are you doing? It's nearly 3:00 in the morning."_

" _I love you." He said between breaths._

_Allison stared blankly for a moment and Dominic lifted his head up off of her shoulder. "What?"_

" _I...love...you.." He told her again as he walked closer to her. "I've been wanting to tell you for weeks, but I wasn't sure when I should do it.... and I just realized you're about to leave for two weeks... and I just want you to know before you go that... I love you."_

_Allison broke into a grin and bit her lip. "I love you too."_

" _You do?"_

_She nodded. "I do."_

" _Good." He said before closing the gap between them and capturing her lips with his._

_They heard someone clear their throat and the two teens broke apart. Argent stood back with his arms folded across his chest and Stiles nodded in his direction._

" _Chris..."_

" _Stiles..."_

" _I just...wanted to give your daughter a proper send off."_

" _I saw."_

_They stared at each other for a moment and Stiles took a step back toward the jeep. "Well...have a nice trip."_

" _Goodnight, Stiles." Argent said, while Allison fought back a giggle._

_Stiles stumbled back to the jeep and climbed in. He turned the key in the ignition, but before he could drive off, Allison quickly handed Dominic to her father and ran to the jeep. The window was rolled down and she kissed Stiles again._

" _See you in two weeks." She told him as she rested her forehead on his._

" _I'll miss you."_

" _I'll miss you too. I'll e-mail you. Maybe send a post card or two."_

" _I probably won't get them until after you get back."_

_She shrugged. "Well then we'll look at them together."_

" _You should probably get back over there. I can feel your dad's glare searing holes into my skull."_

_Allison giggled. "I love you." She said it first this time._

" _I love you too. Have fun...but not too much fun. Don't forget you've got a boyfriend back in the States."_

" _I could never forget about you."_

" _Allison! Come on! Time to go!" Argent called and honked the horn of the SUV._

" _Bye!" She said quickly and skipped back to her dad's car._

* * *

_Stiles opened the front door and Lydia stood there bouncing a crying Eli and Kayce sat at the kitchen table with her head resting on her folded arms. She looked up when her brother walked in._

" _Stiles!" Lydia exclaimed. "Where the fu-" She looked over at Kayce and stopped herself. "Where did you go?"_

_Stiles just smiled ."Yes."_

" _What?!"_

" _Before I left, you asked if I'd told Allison that I loved her. The answer is yes."_

" _Oh..well that's great.. while you were off telling your girlfriend you loved her, we've been listening to your brother cry since_ you slammed the door _!"_

" _Sorry," He apologize and took the tiny infant from Lydia's hands. In moments the crying stopped._

_Lydia just stared for a minute. "What?!"_

" _Shhh..." He hushed her._

_Her mouth dropped, wanting to say something, but she was so exhausted, the only words she could think to form were obscenities...which she decided against with present company in mind._

" _I'm going back to bed." Kayce mumbled as she got up from her spot at the table and began to make her way up the stairs._

" _I'm sleeping here tonight. I already texted my mom."_

_Stiles nodded. "Alright. You can go ahead and go to my room. I'm just going to make sure he's out and then I'll be there in a little bit."_

_Lydia nodded and began to walk up the stairs, stopping about halfway up to turn back around to face Stiles, a strange aching in her chest. It was in that moment that she realized without a doubt she was not in love with Aaron, as much as she wanted to be. She wasn't in love with Aaron, because she was in love with Stiles...and he loved someone else._


	36. Arguments and I Love You's

Lydia?" Stiles asked. "Are we going to go inside or…" They were sitting in front of Lydia's house. They had been for about ten minutes at this point. On the way back to Stiles's place, Lydia suddenly decided that she needed to talk to her mom right away and Stiles redirected his jeep.

"Give me a minute."

"I've given you ten…look…you don't have to do this today."

"No…if I don't do it now…I don't know when I will." Stiles nodded. "I just… need to figure out what I'm going to say." They were both silent for several minutes, before Lydia finally said, "You _do_ realize it was only a few hours ago that we were running away from her in a school parking lot. Right?"

"Meaning she's going to be pissed?"

"Meaning she's going to be pissed." She affirmed, then took a deep breath. "Maybe today isn't a good day to do this...I've got it! I'll take a note from Allison and write her a letter."

"And then just hand it to her and walk away?"

"No…then I'll mail it…and maybe it'll get lost... so.. when I come back at Christmas break with a baby and she didn't know about it, it won't be entirely my fault. We can blame the United States Postal Service."

Stiles stifled a laugh. "Lyd-"

"I know." She grumbled and reached for the door handle. Stiles raised his eyebrows, slightly shocked she actually made that much of a move. He climbed out of the jeep with her and they even made it inside the house. At the sound of the door closing, Lydia seemed to realize suddenly where she was and turned to run back outside.

Stiles quickly side-stepped in front of her and Natalie ran into the room. "Lydia!" Lydia closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Hey mom." She replied and turned to face her mother. Natalie's face was a mixture of anger and relief.

"Where the hell have you…I mean…what the hell have…" She sighed, "Lydia…what's going on?"

The banshee reached for Stiles's hand and he held it with reassurance. "Mom…we need to talk."

Natalie clenched her jaw, swallowed, then nodded-motioning them toward the sitting room.

"Just so we're clear," Lydia began. "This has been a really long day for me, and I just want to get everything out before you say anything."

Her mother nodded reluctantly. "Okay."

Lydia gripped Stiles's hand tighter, and he began to rub his thumb soothingly on the back of her hand.

She took a deep breath and finally said, "I was debating on telling you the truth or not. Because the truth is.. there's a lot of supernatural shit happening right now, "Natalie rolled her eyes at this, "And I know you don't believe in that."

"You're right."

"Mom." Lydia warned.

"Sorry. Continue."

Lydia sighed. "But…I decided that there's no point in lying to you because it doesn't matter how it happened, the point is…it happened…it's _happening_ …and we're just going to have to deal with it, whether you believe me or not." Lydia was quiet for a moment, waiting to see if her mom was going to try to reply. When she didn't, Lydia continued, "I've been staying at the sheriff's house." Natalie shrugged (she figured that's where her daughter had been spending her nights.) "That's why I haven't been home." Lydia's shoulders slumped, slowly losing courage. Stiles gave her hand a squeeze, and she took a deep breath before blurting. "I'm pregnant." Like ripping off a Bandaid.

Natalie froze, a blank expression on her face, as Lydia looked down and took a deep breath. "I don't know how it happened, and I'm not 100% sure who the father is. Although," Lydia stole a glance at Stiles, "There's a theory."

Stiles's breath caught in his throat for a moment. This was the first time Lydia was remotely admitting there was a possibility the baby belonged to him. Every other time, it had been him saying it, and she had been reluctant to agree.

"I've been sleep-walking, losing time, forgetting things…" She continued, never making eye contact. "So has Stiles... and it all started the night we went to Allison's house the week you were out of town. We ended up at the nemeton…the big tree stump in the woods-"

"The one that doesn't exist." Natalie asserted. Lydia bit her lip in an effort to stop herself from crying in anger. "You know what? I think I've heard enough." Natalie stood. "Stiles, go home. I need to talk to my daughter."

Lydia's head popped up and she and Stiles both rose to their feet. "No, Mom!" She stared her mother directly in the eye. "Whatever you need to say to me, you can say to Stiles too."

"Well, I can't talk to Stiles about his options as a pregnant, unwed teenager."

"I may not be pregnant, but I am unwed and a teenager."

"Not helping," Lydia mumbled and took a deep breath as she turned back to her mother. "And, I don't need to talk about my options, Mom. I know what I'm going to do."

"If you think that raising it is an option-"

"It is! As far as I'm concerned it's the _only_ option!"

"What about college? You're just going to give up your dreams to raise a baby? Jesus Christ, Lydia! You just told me that you don't know who the father is!"

"That doesn't matter!" Lydia's hand went to her stomach. "And I'm not giving up on anything. God, Mom...This baby is important. I know it. I can _feel_ it. And I don't mean just to me. Maybe she'll cure cancer or be a kick-ass lawyer that fights for basic human rights. And if you don't want to be apart of that, then maybe I don't want you to be apart of it."

"Lydia..." Stiles said her name softly when he saw the surprise on her mother's face.

"No," She she shook her head at him and continued to stare at her mother. "This is exactly why I didn't want to tell you. Let's go, Stiles."

Stiles looked back and forth between the two Martin women as Lydia grabbed his hand to pull him away. "But-" He tried.

"Lydia!" Natalie called to her daughter, her voice breaking. The strawberry-blonde, ignored her mother and continued to lead Stiles out to the Jeep.

He stood at the driver's side door with his hand on the lever and looked back at Ms. Martin on her porch. He frowned, mouthing 'I'm sorry.' Her gaze turned icy and she turned around and slammed the front door as she went back inside. Stiles jumped slightly at the abrasiveness, then finally climbed into the jeep and sat for a moment in silence.

"Your mom..." He began.

"Drive." Lydia said shortly.

"But-"

"Just. Drive."

Stiles took a deep breath and did as he was told. Neither of them said anything until they made it back to his house, and when they did, Lydia was the first one out. Stiles was several feet behind her and hadn't quite made it inside when he heard Kira.

"Hey Lydi-..uh..okay..."

Once he was in, Scott and Kira both turned to him. "What's wrong with her?" Scott asked, motioning toward the top of the stairs where Lydia had just disappeared into Stiles's room.

Stiles sighed as he closed the door. "We just got back from her house and she told her mom."

"I take it that it didn't go well..." Kira's face wrinkled in concern.

Stiles shrugged. "Well, it could have gone better. That's for sure."

"Well, Kira and I are headed to _Tate's_ to get some milkshakes. Did you guys want to come?"

Stiles shrugged. "I don't know if she'll be up for it," He began as he made his way toward the stairs. "You guys go ahead and I'll text you later if we decide to join." Scott nodded and Stiles continued up the stairs. His door was closed, so he gave a courtesy knock before opening it.

Lydia was sitting at the foot of the bed, shoulders shaking with sobs.

"Hey..." He said soothingly as he closed the door behind him.

"What did I do?" She sobbed and Stiles sat down next to her.

"You didn't do anything." He told her as he wrapped his arm around her.

"Yes I did...God...I was so worried about her kicking me out and I just went and did it for her." She sniffed as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Look..." He started after a moment of silence, and Lydia lifted her head to look him in the eyes. "You are the strongest and smartest woman I know, and I know you can do anything you put your mind to...and if your mom still can't see that after eighteen years then maybe you did the right thing. The last thing you need is people putting you down and saying you can't do it, because I know you can." Her eyes filled with tears again, and a look of concern passed over his face. "What? What did I do?"

"Nothing...that was just really sweet."

His shoulders loosened and he cracked a small smile. "Oh," He sighed in relief.

Lydia let out a giggle, and Stiles reached his hand to her face and wiped a stray tear with his thumb. They both froze for a moment. There had been that whole conversation a few days ago about taking things slow and something about this moment felt like it was crossing that undefined line.

"I love you." Lydia whispered.

He replied by crashing his lips into hers.


	37. Flashback 2.7

" _Merry Christmas!" Lydia announced joyfully as she opened the door. The Santa hat on her head flopped forward._

" _You're adorable." Stiles told her as she adjusted the hat back on her head. "Ready to go?"_

" _Yep. Will you just help me bring these bags of decorations out?"_

" _Ahh. I see how it is. You only wanted me here for my muscles and my jeep."_

" _You caught me." She shrugged._

" _Oh my God…it smells amazing in here!" He sighed contentedly as he stepped inside the house._

" _Mom's making gingerbread cookies for her party."_

" _Wait…are we making cookies?"_

" _No," Stiles pouted. "But," Lydia continued as she dug through the bag on her shoulder. "We_ are _making eggnog." She then presented a bottle of spiced rum. "_ Spiked _eggnog."_

" _My favorite kind."_

" _The only kind that's worth drinking." Stiles picked up several of the bags and headed toward the jeep while Lydia shouted "Bye, Mom!" and stepped outside to close and lock the door behind them. She had to set a bag down to get to her key, and when she went to pick it up, the Santa hat slid down over her eyes._

" _Stiles?" She called._

" _Yeah?" He asked, with most of his body inside the jeep as he tried to reposition the bag that had just fallen over._

" _I can't see."_

_Stiles looked up and laughed at the helpless looking redhead._

" _Hold on, I'm coming." He told her then jogged back over to her and adjusted the hat back on her head._

" _There. Better?"_

" _Much." She smiled brightly._

" _Are you going to wear that hat all night?" He asked once they were both back in the jeep._

" _That's the plan."_

" _I predict that once you have a few glasses of eggnog, that hat will be long forgotten."_

" _I think you're wrong."_

" _Oh yeah? You wanna bet on it?"_

_Lydia thought for a moment. "Okay. What are the terms?"_

" _Alright…well…you only win if the hat never comes off-"_

" _Well, that's not fair. What if it falls off, or someone takes it off to mess with me?"_

" _Okay, well then let me rephrase. You'll win if_ you _never take the hat off_ willingly _."_

_She nodded. "Okay. Okay… so if_ I _ever take the hat off you win. What do you win?"_

" _I don't know." He shrugged. "What if we don't decide until a winner is declared?"_

" _Well then how am I supposed to know what I'll have to do?"_

" _Oh, is Little Miss I'm-Not-Taking-My-Hat-Off, already feeling defeat?"_

" _What? No! That's not what I meant." Stiles laughed and Lydia huffed and crossed her arms. "Fine." She sighed. "I'll decide what_ I'm _going to make_ you _do at the end of the night... after_ I _win."_

" _I'm sure you will."_

* * *

" _Stiiillless." Lydia's voice slurred as she grabbed his hand and pulled him back toward the crowd. "Danccce with meeee."_

_Stiles groaned as he let his best friend pull him along. One hand held hat in place on her head. "Where's Aaron?" Stiles asked her as she began to jump around to the music._

" _I can't hear you!" She yelled back._

" _Where's your boyfriend?!" He raised his voice so she could hear him above the noise._

" _He left! He's on curfew still from when he punched you in the face!"_

" _Oh, right." He said, and winced at the memory._

" _I'm tired! Let's go sit down!" She grabbed his hand again and tugged him along._

" _You literally_ just _pulled me out here." He grumbled._

" _You know, you're not nearrrrly drunk enough."_

" _I think you're wasted enough for the both of us."_

" _Am not."_

" _Oh, I think so."_

" _Nuh uh." Lydia said as she pulled him down on to the couch._

" _Yeah huh."_

_Lydia stared for a moment and started giggling. "I don't remember what we were arguing about."_

" _Then I think my point has been proven."_

" _You just need to have more fun." For emphasis she took her hat and placed it haphazardly onto Stiles's head. His eyes widened in shock and a huge grin slowly appeared on his face. "What?" She asked as she leaned back into the couch._

" _I win."_

_She cocked her head in confusion, then with sudden realization she grabbed her head where her hat used to be. "My hat! You stole it!"_

" _No I didn't." He shook his head and laughed. "You just put it on me."_

" _You tricked me!"_

" _How?"_

" _I don't know." She pouted and crossed her arms. "Fine. What did you win?"_

" _I win…." He said as he looked around the room and thought about it. "Is that your camera?" He asked, pointing to a camera on a nearby shelf._

" _You want my camera?"_

" _No, I don't want your camera... I want a picture of us on your camera_ and _I want you to print it off and put it in a picture frame next to your bed, so every time you look at it, you'll remember that I beat you."_

" _Ugh, fine." She grumbled. Stiles walked over to the shelf where her camera sat and picked it up._

" _Alright, come on."_

" _Wait, you want a picture right now?"_

" _Yep, come on." He held his hand out and she sighed as she grabbed it and he pulled her up. "Let's take it right…."He shuffled them over to a spot, "Here." He turned the camera on and extended his arm then looked up. "Oh, would you look at that. Mistletoe."_

" _What? No! Don't kiss me!" Lydia laughed as she pulled away but he wrapped his arm around her tighter._

" _I'm not going to-"He began to say, but at the last moment he leaned closer, his lips kissing her cheek and snapped the picture. He let her go and they looked at the picture together. Lydia's face took up most of the screen. Her eyes were squeezed shut and huge smile was on her face, Stiles and his (well Lydia's) Santa hat were still visible to the far right side, his lips firmly planted on her cheek. "Perfect."_

" _I look terrible." Lydia whined._

" _You look beautiful." He argued. Lydia felt herself blush, deciding to blame the alcohol. "I miss Allison." Stiles sighed and went back to the couch, collapsing onto it._

_Lydia sighed too. "We both need more eggnog." She paused, then added. "Maybe minus the eggnog."_

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, if that picture they just took painted a familiar thought in your head... Lydia kept the sonogram that she showed Stiles in a frame behind that picture. See, the present day and flashback chapters are starting to feed into each other!


	38. New News and Old Letters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to re-read chapters 33-38 of _It's Just a Matter of Time_ when writing this chapter, so I wouldn't blame you if you wanted/needed to do the same.

Lydia's head rested on Stiles's bare chest as she traced patterns on his stomach. The rhythmic rise and fall from his breathing was beginning to lull her to sleep and her eyes drifted closed.

"She?"

Lydia's eyes popped open when she heard Stiles's voice. "What?" Her voice was a little groggy.

"You said maybe _she_ 'll cure cancer."

Lydia's forehead crinkled in confusion. "What?" She asked again.

"When you were talking to your mom you referred to the baby as a 'she'."

"Oh…" She said slowly as she tried to remember the conversation she'd had with her mom. "I did?"

"Yeah…"

"Well…I don't _know_ obviously…We won't find out for another few months…It's just… I hate calling the baby an 'it'. And I've just always pictured myself with a daughter."

"Really?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah." Lydia smiled at the thought. Braiding her little girl's hair while Stiles made chocolate chip pancakes in the kitchen. She suddenly felt a tear slip down her cheek and quickly sat up.

"Are you okay?" Stiles asked her as he sat up from his reclined position on the bed.

She wiped the tear away and looked down at her wet fingers. "I'm crying." She sounded confused.

"I see that. That's why I asked if you were okay."

Lydia looked back at Stiles. "I don't know why I'm crying."

"Well, are you happy?"

Lydia shook her head. "No…I feel sad."

"Oh…" He looked down.

"Not about us!" She told him quickly. "Or about the baby or anything…I just… I think I had a memory that made me upset…but I can't remember what it was now." She bit her lip as she tried to recall what had made her feel that way. "I think it had something to do with chocolate chip pancakes?" Another tear slipped down her cheek as she whispered, "You made her chocolate chip pancakes."

"What? Who?"

"I don't know." She sobbed, then threw her legs off the bed "God! Why can't I stop crying!"

"Lyd, calm down. You're pregnant! It's okay to be emotional."

"No, it's not! It's not okay when I have no idea why. I mean…cute puppies? Okay… I feel fat? Fine…Getting to that one part of Youtube with the military homecomings…I mean…that gets me even when it's not an emotional time, but _chocolate chip pancakes_? I'm not even sure if I've ever had chocolate chip pancakes!"

Stiles sat quietly for a moment before saying, "Well…maybe that's why you're sad. I mean… chocolate chip pancakes are-" Lydia shot him a glare. "….or not." Lydia took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. "Are you okay?" He asked her again once her sobs had subsided.

She nodded. "Yeah…I'm okay."

"Well, Scott and Kira went to _Tate's_ and he asked if we wanted to join them. I mean...they're probably done by now, but maybe they'll wait for us. We can go get a milkshake?"

Lydia nodded. "I'd like that."

* * *

Scott's phone chimed and he picked it up. "Oh, hey...Stiles and Lydia are coming."

"That's good!" Kira smiled. "I feel like all they do is spend time with each other now...which...is sort of like how it was when I first met you guys."

"Huh...it makes you wonder then."

"What do you mean?"

"Like...what are they doing with each other the past couple of weeks, since it's a lot like summer before junior year."

Kira shook her head. "I don't get it. They were just best friends...and now they're best friends again."

Scott narrowed his eyes at her in confusion. "They were hooking up summer of junior year."

"What?!" For a moment the entire diner got completely silent, and the kitsune blushed and apologized to the other patrons. More quietly this time she asked him again, "What?"

"Why are you acting so shocked? This is old news."

"Not to me! To me, this is new news!"

"Oh...well...what part of that was new? Because the 'when' may have been found out pretty recently. But the fact they had sex.. I mean... you knew that right? Because I could have sworn you were right next to me when we found out."

"I don't remember this at all. Did they sit us down and tell us?"

"No...they were fighting and she told him..."Scott paused for a moment, then lowered his voice. "Basically, she called him a man whore...then he...sort of called her a slut...and she kind of said he wasn't good in bed...then he commented on how... _agreeable_ she was when they were together...and that was when I stopped listening."

Kira squeezed her eyes shut. "That's an image I didn't want in my head. Also...all you had to do was say 'they were fighting' and then just stop talking... because that explains everything. I always tune out their fights. I heard my name come up once and I don't know the context, but that's when I decided it wasn't worth it to listen in and get caught up in the drama."

"Can I get you anything else?" Their waitress came back to the table.

"Actually, the friends that I told you about just said they were on their way, so if you could bring us a couple of menus for them, that would be great." Scott smiled.

"Oh..okay." She said it with a false smile and Scott heard her sigh as she walked away. That was when he realized how long he and Kira had been there and promised himself to leave her a nice tip.

* * *

When Stiles and Lydia walked into the diner about 15 minutes later, his hand rested on the small of her back. They quickly found Scott and Kira and took a seat at their booth.

"I'm glad you came!" Kira told Lydia as she gave her a side hug when the banshee sat down in the booth next to her. Stiles sat next to Scott, who looked back and forth between the two newcomers.

"Me too." Lydia smiled.

Stiles picked up the menus that were sitting on the table and handed one to Lydia.

"Hi, guys. I'm Stacey," the waitress began when she came back to the table. "Can I get you something to drink?"

"I think I want a glass of Liza's Homemade Lemonade." Stiles told her.

Lydia gasped a memory formed in front of her. She looked toward the young waitress, and instead, saw a woman in her mid-forties.

" _My name's Liza, if you need anything."_ Lydia blinked. _"You can stay here, until you can get on your feet. I won't even make you pay if you help out around here. I'm always looking for extra cooks and waitresses."_

"Lydia?" Stiles said her name and touched her hand. She turned to look at him, then looked down at their hands.

_"I think we messed everything up."_ She heard herself say. _"We were their_ friends, _Stiles."_

_"Come with me, I'll show you where you'll be staying."_ Liza had said. Lydia could see her clearly in her mind. She stood and followed the memory.

"Lydia? Where are you going?" Stiles asked, but Lydia ignored him and kept walking. She barely heard him apologize to Stacey and say he would be right back, knowing he was following her.

"You can't go that way!" Lydia heard Stacey call as she headed toward an employee only area. She passed the break room and walked through a door that led outside where a set of metal stairs led to the second floor. Lydia walked up the stairs, hearing Stiles just behind her. She got to the top and reached for the door and was met with resistance.

"It's locked."

"Of course it's locked you idiot!" Stacey almost screeched. "God...I feel like I'm supposed to call the cops."

"That's not necessary." Stiles told her, biting his tongue as to not make a comment about her calling Lydia an idiot. "My father's the sheriff." He turned back to the strawberry blonde, who was searching frantically for a way to get into the door. "Lydia, what's wrong?"

"I can't get in!"

"Lydia!" Scott called.

Stacey turned around to see that Scott and Kira had followed her out. "Oh my God." she groaned as she held her head. "I should probably call my boss at least..."

"No," Kira told her. "Look, don't worry, you're going to get a very nice tip for all of this."

"Scott," Lydia pleaded. "Break it."

"Is there a body?" He asked as he made his way up to Lydia, passing Stiles who was halfway there.

"A body!" Stacey shrieked. "I really think I should call the police-"

"Stacey!" Stiles snapped. "Just shut up, okay?"

"I don't know." Lydia answered Scott's question. "I...I don't think so, but I feel like it's something important."

Scott nodded and grabbed the handle, turning it until he felt the lock release. Lydia raced past him and every one else followed until they all stood in the small hallway.

_"There are two apartments up here. The one on the left belonged to my brother, the one on the right was turned into an office several years back."_

Lydia went over to the door on the left, she reached for the knob, this one turning with ease.

"Lydia what are you doing?" The door swung open and they stood staring at an empty studio apartment.

"Does anyone live here?" Lydia asked.

"I don't know." Stacey was definitely freaking out. "I just started here two weeks ago. I mean... I think maybe the owner. Henry, used to live here, but that was a long time ago." Lydia took a step inside the room, and Stacey murmured worriedly,. "Oh God...I am so fired."

"It'll be fine." Kira tried to sound positive.

"Lydia?" Stiles said her name quietly. Lydia touched the table, as memories of eating there flooded her brain.

"I've been here before." She told them.

"When?"

She shook her head as she walked around the room. "I don't know." She stopped suddenly in front of a frame that hung on the wall. "Holy shit!" She whispered.

"What is it?" Stiles wondered aloud and went to stand next to her to see what she was looking at. Inside the frame was a faded scrap of paper with a hand-written note that read:

_Stiles-_ _If anyone can defy the odds, it's us!_ _\- Lydia_

Stiles took a step a back from the frame as he felt his heart drop to his stomach. "Holy shit."


	39. Flackback 2.8

_Stiles woke up with a pounding in his head. He took a moment to look around the room. He was laying on the couch in the living room of the lake house, red solo cups littered the floor._

" _Lydia?" He tried to yell her name, but it came out in a whisper. He tried to sit up, but the slightest movement and he felt like he was going to be sick. He didn't remember falling asleep the night before, and he also didn't remember everyone leaving either, but it didn't look like anyone else was there._

_His phone suddenly began to ring and he winced at the volume as he felt around for the device in his pocket. He squinted his eyes at the the screen and saw Lydia's face, so he answered._

" _Lydia? He mumbled, barely coherent._

_He heard a sniff followed by a shaky voice, "Stiles?" She was crying and she sounded scared. He sat up quickly, ignoring the awful feeling washing over him._

" _Are you okay?"_

" _I...I think I did something...something bad."_

* * *

" _You knocked me out and resurrected a homicidal maniac!" Malia yelled._

" _Alright, Wile E. Coyote, let's keep the yelling to a minimum." Stiles rubbed his aching head. "She didn't know what she was doing."_

" _Malia," Lydia began. Her voice shook with tears as she spoke, and she sniffled. "I'm so sorry. I don't know...I just...I..."_

" _Oh, well thanks!" Malia snapped sarcastically. "That was very insightful."_

" _Malia..." Scott tried, but Malia turned to him flashing her red alpha, eyes and let out a low growl. He shrank back._

" _Okay! Look," Stiles began. "I don't know what kind of sick twisted alpha thing you have over my brother, but enough is enough. She said she was sorry. What more do you want? She can't change it, but I'm sure she would if she could. Do you actually think she'd bring him back on purpose?"_

" _That's my point! She didn't do it on purpose, so obviously he's in her head somehow, so how can we trust her?"_

" _Can I say something?"_

_Malia, Stiles, Scott, and Lydia all turned to the chained Peter and barked a, "No!"_

_Stiles sighed. "Look, I don't care if you trust her, but I do. Right now I trust her more than anyone else in this room." He looked pointedly at Scott._

" _So, you're going to take responsibility if she does anything else while she's under his control?" Malia asked him._

_Before he could open his mouth to reply, Lydia spoke up, "I can take responsibility for my own actions."_

_Malia turned to her with fake sympathy. "Oh sweetheart, if only that were true."_

" _Lyd, come on. Let's go." Stiles reached out for her, but she jerked away and ran past him. "Lydia!" He called out, but she didn't stop. He turned back to Malia. "You're a bitch!"_

" _Hey!" Scott said defensively. Stiles turned to him with an incredulous look on his face._

" _You know...I take that back. I was wrong. She's not the bitch. Apparently you are." He groaned. "God, I'd rather talk to_ him," _He motioned to Peter,_ " _Right now than either of you." He turned to look at the former alpha. "And in case you weren't aware, I don't like you that much."_

_Peter shrugged. "Eh, I'll grow on you."_

" _I_ really _hope you don't."_

" _Are you okay?" Derek asked as he ran in._

" _Oh, I'm great, thanks!" Peter replied._

" _Not you." Derek said angrily and turned to Malia. "You."_

" _Yeah." She told him. "I'm fine. Just trying to figure out what to do with him."_

" _Well," Derek said slowly. "As much as I hate to admit it, it may be a good thing that he's back."_

" _Why would you say that?" She asked, as if she thought her brother had gone crazy._

" _Because of this." He pulled his phone out and showed her something on it._

" _Does that mean what I think it means?"_

_Scott and Stiles exchanged looks. "What's going on?" Scott asked._

_Malia looked up at Stiles. "Your girlfriend's ex."_

_Stiles thought for a moment. "Jackson?"_

_Malia nodded. "He's not alone, and they've decided to stay."_

" _Okay..." Stiles began. "So there's another pack...I mean, I don't particularly like the guy, but we can deal."_

" _You don't get it!" Derek snapped._

" _Well, then explain it to me!"_

" _It's not a normal pack." Malia told him._

" _Deucalion." It was statement, rather than a question, but Derek still nodded affirmatively toward his uncle. Peter let out a short laugh._

" _What the hell is a Deucalion?"Scott asked the question, that Stiles was also thinking._

" _He's an alpha." Malia answered._

" _But..I thought Jackson was the alpha." Stiles stated with confusion._

" _They're all alphas!" Derek said impatiently. Derek saw the look on Stiles's face that said nothing was clicking in his head. The older beta rolled his eyes, and spoke slowly. "It's a pack of alphas, all recruited by Deucalion."_

" _So..."Stiles began again. "He's the alpha...of alphas?"_

" _Well," Peter shrugged. "That's what he calls himself anyway."_

_Scott's phone began to buzz. He looked down at the phone then locked eyes with Stiles. "Dad." Stiles nodded at him and Scott stepped outside to answer the call._

" _So, what do we do?" Stiles asked._

" _You do nothing." Derek told him bluntly._

" _Hey, I'm just as apart of this as you guys are."_

" _You're right." Malia said. Stiles was about to smile when she continued, "You're actually a big part of all of these problems. "Your girlfriend's ex is one of the alphas, and your best friend is resurrecting psychopaths. So, yeah... you get a job. Your job is to keep your girlfriends under control, and if one you gets in our way, you won't like what I'll do to you."_

_Stiles was going to respond when the door opened and Scott walked back in. He looked at Stiles and back down to his phone. "It's Mom."_


	40. Memories and Headaches

"Is this the place?" Stiles asked Lydia, who was sitting in the passenger's seat.

Lydia looked at her phone then up to the house in front of them, and nodded. "Yeah. Looks like it."

"Who is this guy again?" He threw the jeep in park and and turned the ignition off.

"Henry Tate." Scott answered from the backseat. "His family has owned _Tate's_ for generations and his daughter, Kiley, is in Liam's class. He was also the last person to inhabit the apartment where that letter was found so maybe he'll know a thing or two about how it got there."

"I don't understand what we think we're going to find." Stiles shook his head. "I mean...do we think that was actually us? Wouldn't it make more sense that it was just another Stiles and Lydia?"

"But," Lydia spoke up. "That was my handwriting."

"So what's your explanation, then? That we're some kind of crazy ass anomaly that regenerates every 50 years, destined to meet until we finally figure out what's happening and solve some sort of earth-altering mission and can finally die knowing we've succeeded in our quest?"

Lydia quirked an eyebrow. "I was actually thinking that time travel had something to do with it...but I guess yours makes sense too."

Stiles let out a laugh. "I can't believe we live in a world where either of those concepts make any sense at all."

Lydia stopped as a memory floated by. _"..._ _I never thought that I'd live in a world where the sentence 'maybe you remembered the future' would actually make sense ."_ Stiles had said it, and it felt like they were in the apartment above _Tate's_ when he did.

"Lydia?" Stiles said her name and she snapped out of whatever daze she was in. "You okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah...yeah I'm fine."

Stiles sighed. "Alright, well then let's get this over with."

The three of them climbed out of the jeep and went to the door. They stood there for several minutes after knocking and nobody was coming to the door.

"I don't think anyone is here." Lydia commented.

"Either that or they just really don't like answering the door." Scott shrugged.

"Then I guess we should just leave." Stiles mirrored his brother's movement.

"Can I help you?"

The three teens looked toward the sidewalk where a teenage girl was standing, looking like she had just come back from a run. She held an iPod in her hand removed the earbuds from her ears.

"Kiley...right?" Scott asked.

The girl nodded. "Yeah..."She narrowed her eyes as she studied the people on her porch. "Aren't you two on the lacrosse team?"

"Yeah...we're the co-captains." Stiles answered.

"Is your dad home?" Lydia questioned.

She shook her head as she walked toward the front door. "He and my mom went out of town for the weekend. It's their 25th anniversary."

" _Mazel Tov._ " Stiles muttered under his breath.

Lydia shot him a look before turning back to Kiley. "How much do you know about the apartment above your family's diner?"

"Um... I guess it depends on what you want to know. Did you want to come inside?"

"Yeah," Scott answered for the group. "That'd be great."

Kiley unlocked the door, and the three pack members followed her in.

"So, "Kiley began. "How do you guys know about the apartment?"

"Um..." The three of them exchanged looks.

"Well..." Stiles said slowly. "That's sort of a long story. Basically, we were in there last night."

Kiley stopped and raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean you were in there last night?"

"You see..." Stiles started. "Lydia..." He gestured to the banshee, "...is narcoleptic...and she sleepwalks...so she fell asleep in the middle of dinner and we followed her up the stairs and into the apartment."

"But the back door always stays locked."

"It was broken." Scott shrugged.

"What do you know about the note on the wall?" Lydia tried to get down to it.

"Note?"

Lydia continued, "It's framed. A small piece of paper that says 'Stiles-If anyone can defy the odds it's us- Lydia'"

"Oh that one! Well... I don't know how true it is...it's one of those family tales that gets passed down. Basically it started with my Great... Great...there may be three 'great's...aunt, Liza."

_"My name's Liza, if you need anything."_ Lydia felt a jolt as the memory came back to her.

"The story goes, that she was struggling to make ends meet. Her brother, my great...well however many greats, grandfather, had just passed away and she had taken over the diner, and with it she had accrued a ton of debt that her brother had been keeping from her. She needed more help in the diner, but she could barely afford to pay the people who were already working there. She had been asked by the town to make food for the fall festival which she knew would be good for the diner, but there was no way that she could pull it off with her staff. She was going to have to tell them that they would have to find somebody else to make the food. She had plans to meet with the town council one afternoon and tell them she couldn't do it...but a few hours before the meeting, a young couple came into the diner. They had nowhere to go so Aunt Liza offered them the apartment where her brother had lived."

_"I couldn't help over hearing that you need a place to stay?"_ Lydia heard the woman's voice in her head again. _"My brother used to own this diner, but he passed away about a month ago."_ Then again, " _He actually lived in the apartment above the diner."_

"They didn't have any money and she told them that they could live there rent free, as long as they helped her out."

_"You can stay here, until you can get on your feet. I won't even make you pay if you help out around here. I'm always looking for extra cooks and waitresses."_

"She didn't know what two extra people could do to help, but at the meeting, instead of telling the council she couldn't cater, they talked about what she should bring. The one thing I know for sure, is that if you go back at look at the books, the next two weeks were the most lucrative two weeks the diner had seen since it's opening five years earlier. On the day of the fall festival, the young couple told her that they had found a place and would be moving away.

_"I'm so happy that you found a place of your own. I'm just sad that it's not in Beacon Hills."_ Lydia closed her eyes as her head began to hurt. _"You're going to stay for the fall festival, right? I can't do it without you two!"_

"They stayed through the festival and they went back to the apartment. The next morning, Liza went back to the apartment and she said it was as if no one was ever there. It looked exactly the same as it had before and for a moment she thought she had dreamed the whole thing. Except, there was a letter on the ground. It looked like it may have fallen off the table. It was written by the girl to her husband. It was the only solid proof Liza had that the couple actually existed. The letter said 'if anyone can defy the odds it's us' and they did. They defied the odds for the diner. They turned it around,"

Lydia felt herself well up with emotion as she another memory, came to her. This time it was her voice that she heard. _"We turned it around for her. And while that makes me feel amazing, it also scares me to death, because... what else have we fucked up?"_ Then there was Stiles clear as day, _"But... how could saving a diner be bad?"_

"And then they left and the diner hasn't had to worry about closing its doors since. Aunt Liza used to call them her guardian angels...so I'm told...I never actually met her. Anyway...she framed the letter and put it in the apartment as a reminder."

Lydia felt nothing but pride and love...and confusion.

Stiles heard a sniff next to him and turned to look at her. "Lyds, you okay?"

"Hormones." She mumbled as she wiped her eyes. "Sorry."

"Stiles and Lydia..."Kiley said thoughtfully. "Hey...aren't those your names?"

* * *

"So, what did we learn?" Scott asked the other two once they were back in the jeep.

"That _Tate's_ almost closed 60 years ago, but didn't?" Stiles shrugged.

"That somehow you and I _lived_ 60 years ago." Lydia said softly.

"Do you know how crazy that sounds?" Stiles asked her as he shook his head.

"I'm aware." She told him and rubbed her forehead.

"Are you okay?"

"I have a headache." A moment later, she slowly sat up. "Stiles, we need to go to the hospital."

"Are you okay? Is the baby-" He stepped harder on the gas.

"We're fine." She assured him. "I think something else is wrong."

Scott's phone suddenly began to ring. "It's Liam." He said before quickly answering it. Stiles had already turned toward Beacon Hills Memorial. "Okay," He was telling the young beta. "Call Deaton. We're on our way."

"What's going on?" Stiles asked him.

"He was eating lunch with his dad, when Dr. Geyer was paged. One of the other doctors just dropped dead. Perfectly healthy, no prior conditions...just like-"

"Mrs. Finch." Lydia finished for him.

They parked as quickly as they could when they finally got to the hospital. As the three ran in, Liam met them at the door.

"They're keeping his body quarantined." Liam told them. "They've already called the CDC."

"Do they think he was poisoned?" Stiles asked.

"I don't know." He shrugged. "I think they're just worried about whatever it is, spreading."

"Well, if it's the same thing that killed Mrs. Finch, then they probably don't have anything to worry about." Scott said.

"Well, that's sort of the thing...it was Mrs. Finch's husband."

"Okay," The boys head their father's voice. "Who do I need to talk to first?" They turned around, and immediately saw that he hadn't come alone.

"Mom!" Scott and Stiles both yelled at the same time.

Melissa smiled and the three of them ran toward each other. "My boys!"

"When did you get home?" Stiles asked her.

"My plane landed a couple of hours ago. We were wanting to surprise you guys."

"Wait, I thought you weren't supposed to be coming back for another couple of weeks." Scott felt like he was about to cry.

"I couldn't be away from my babies any longer. I called your dad as soon as I could get service. I heard that it's been quite eventful since I left and I've only been gone for two months."

"You have no idea." Stiles shook his head. Melissa looked up and saw Lydia standing in the same spot.

"I think I do." She stepped away from her sons and toward the banshee. Lydia had a moment where she thought she was going to be yelled at, just like her own mother had done. She would probably have to find another place to stay. Maybe Argent wouldn't mind her taking Allison's room. Suddenly, Melissa was wrapping her arms tightly around her, and Lydia found herself crying into the woman's shoulder. As if she knew exactly what Lydia was the thinking, Melissa whispered, "Don't worry, Sweetheart. You're always welcome in our home."


	41. Flashback 2.9

Lydia slammed her locker closed and Stiles was standing there waiting for her.

"Hi." She smiled as she rose to her tip-toes to kiss him.

 _The bell rang suddenly, and Lydia's head came up from the desk. "What the fuck?" She muttered to herself. She was falling asleep in class_ and _having dreams about kissing Stiles? Lydia sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She was_ not _about to begin to psychoanalyze her dreams._

" _Was I boring you, Ms. Martin?"_

_Lydia shook her head. "Sorry, Ms. Blake. I don't even remember falling asleep."_

" _Well, I won't take offense...this time." She smiled warmly and Lydia returned the smile and nodded._

_Ms. Blake was a new teacher that semester. She had come in to replace Mr. Harris who was still out on leave._

_The strawberry blonde gathered her books and walked out of the classroom._

" _Hey, Lydia. Mind if I walk you to your next class?"_

_A chill ran up her spine when she heard Jackson's voice. And not a good one. Her brain was flooded with all of these signals that said she needed to get away from him as fast as humanly possible._

" _Actually, I do mind." She said shortly. "I'm meeting up with my boyfriend."_

" _Oh yeah? How_ is _Stiles?"_

_Lydia stopped, and turned to look at Jackson. "Stiles isn't my boyfriend, he's Allison's."_

" _Yeah...but you want him to be yours. I bet you even have dreams about him."_

_She stared for a moment before shaking her head. "I'm not even going to dignify that with a response." She turned and began walking away._

" _You don't have you. Your heartbeat tells me everything I need to know."_

_Jackson and the twins, Aiden and Ethan, had joined the school full time this semester. They were all apart of the alpha pack and Stiles assumed it was to keep an eye on Malia and her pack._

_Stiles and Allison were the only ones that Lydia was talking to these days. They promised to protect her from whatever Malia was planning-if anything. Even then though, she'd been spending more time with Aaron and things with him were going really well._

_Stiles and Allison had been almost inseparable since she game back from France, and from what Lydia had been told, Dominic really liked having Stiles around too._

" _Lydia," Jackson began again. "Can you just do me a favor?"_

_Lydia kept walking ahead and didn't stop. "Why would I want to do you any favors? You nearly killed my best friend's mother and put her into a coma for two months."_

" _But I didn't kill her, and she's awake now."_

_It was true, Melissa had woken up and was actually able to go home on Christmas Eve._

" _She missed two months of her children's lives. Her infant son, spent the first two months of his life not knowing what it felt like to have his mother hold him."_

" _And I'm sorry about that-"_

" _Are you?"_

" _Yes! Which is why I want you to talk to Allison for me and convince her that it would be good for me to see Dominic."_

" _What?!" Lydia spun around on her heels. "Are you serious?"_

" _You just said yourself, her son didn't know what it felt like for his mother to hold him for two months. My kid hasn't known how it felt for his dad to hold him for two_ years."

" _Maybe he's better off for it." She turned around and he grabbed her arm to spin her back. "Ow! Let me go."_

" _Not until you promise to talk to Allison."_

_She shook her head. "No. I'm not talking to Allison. Especially not now."_

_Jackson's eyes began to glow red, and Lydia didn't know how she planned to defend herself if he tried anything._

" _Jackson!" Aiden called him. "Let her go." She turned to see Aiden, Ethan, and Aaron walking toward them. Lydia finally felt Jackson release her arm and she immediately went to Aaron. He held her tightly, as Aiden and Ethan led Jackson away._

" _Are you okay?" Aaron asked as he touched her arm where bruises were beginning to form._

_She nodded softly. "Yeah. I'm okay."_

* * *

" _He did what?" Allison and Stiles yelled at the same time._

" _It's fine." Lydia told them as she hid her arm again. Allison's eyes widened and she looked like she was about to say something, before Lydia quickly corrected. "I mean..._ it's _not fine, but_ I'm _fine."_

" _Well...what did he want?" Stiles asked._

_She shook her head. "Nothing..he just..." She sighed. "He wanted me to talk to Allison and convince her to let him see Dominic."_

" _Oh fuck no." Allison was shaking her head adamantly. "He's seriously going to ask to see my kid and then physically assault you? He must be out of his goddamn mind."_

" _Was he ever_ in _it?" Stiles quipped with an eye roll._

_Lydia shrugged half-heartedly. "I mean...he did make a valid point."_

_Allison cocked her head in surprise. "I'm sorry?"_

" _I just mean... if my dad wanted to come back to see me...I would want to hear him out." Her eyes flitted to Stiles, who was looking down at his feet._

_Allison turned to her boyfriend. "Stiles?" He lifted his head and looked from Allison to Lydia, then back at his feet._

" _I mean... Jackson is a jack ass. And I've only ever hated one other person before, and Jackson has definitely made the list." He sighed. "But that one other person was my mom. And if she were alive and came back...yeah I'd be fucking pissed at her." He took a deep breath. "But she'd still be my mom. And I would still be happy she came back." He looked back at Lydia as he added, "Even if I'd never admit it." He looked away as he shrugged. "On the other hand, if I found out that she tried to see my and my dad was the one who kept her from me... " He looked at Allison. "I'd be pretty mad at him too."_

" _So, you guys are saying I should let a psychopath within 10 feet of my son?"_

 _Stiles shrugged. "I'm just saying... I think it should be something you think about. And I definitely wouldn't allow them to be alone. As much as I don't like her, maybe having Malia there wouldn't be such a bad thing." Allison shook her head and looked away. "Ali, look. I don't care what you do. If you want to keep Jackson away from Nic, I will support you 10,000%. Maybe now isn't the right time-hell, maybe_ never _is the right time."_

" _No...I get it... I'll think about it."_

_The three of them got quiet for a moment before Lydia asked them. "Hey...can werewolves make you see things in your dreams?"_

_Stiles crinkled his forehead. "I don't think they have mind-control abilities... that's more of a vampire thing. Why?"_

_Lydia shook her head quickly. "No reason."_


	42. Mothers and Melissas

"Holy fuck." Stiles muttered as he and Lydia pulled into his driveway.

"Is that my mom?" Lydia asked the obvious question out loud.

Scott had sent Stiles and Lydia home from the hospital. Deaton was on his way and they wouldn't be able to do anything until he was able to look at the body- which could be hours since they had to convince the CDC that there was nothing that concerned them.

"What do we do?" Stiles asked her. "We can't leave. She's already seen us. And she's just sitting on my porch."

"She's got something in her hand." Lydia noted.

"Do you want to talk to her?"

Lydia shook her head. "Not really, but I want to know why she's here."

"Do you want me to talk to her instead?"

The banshee nodded. "I'm just going to stay in here."

Stiles nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay...I can do this." He whispered a pep talk to himself, before opening his door and walking toward Natalie. He approached her slowly, and they both looked back at Lydia. She looked down, not meeting either of their gazes. After a moment, she looked up and saw her mother handing something over to Stiles before walking away and getting into her car. Once her vehicle was out of view, Lydia got out of the jeep and walked over to Stiles.

"What'd she say?"

"She asked how you were. If you thought anymore about what you were going to do-"

"What did you say?" She asked him quickly, as anger flared in her cheeks.

"I told her that nothing has changed. And she said maybe something would after reading these." He lifted the contents that Natalie had giving him.

They were envelopes from all of the schools she'd applied to.

"Did she open them?"

Stiles shook his head. "No, but come on, Lydia. You know you got in to all of them."

"What? Does she think that just because I got into some really good schools, that I can't go to classes and have a baby at the same time?"

"Of course you can. And you're not doing it alone, remember? I'm not leaving you."

Lydia nodded. "I know."

"Let's worry about one thing at a time. Which one of these awesome schools are you going to go to?"

"Well, it has to be one that you applied for too-"

"No it doesn't." He told her quickly. "We don't have to live on campus...as long as it's within an hour of another school that I applied to, we can split the difference...get a place a half hour away from both schools..." He was rambling. Stiles took a deep breath. "Pick the school you want, and I'll figure it out. Like I said... One thing at a time."

* * *

Lydia and Stiles were on the couch watching something when Melissa, Kayce and Eli came in.

"Stiles! Mommy's home!" Kayce announced when she came through the door.

"Yeah," Stiles smiled. "I know!"

"Hi, Lydia." Kayce came over and sat down next to Lydia on the couch.

"Hi, Kayce. How are you?"

"I'm good." She smiled. "Mommy said we're ordering Chinese tonight! It's my favorite."

"Mine too." Lydia told her.

"Lydia?" Melissa called from the kitchen.

"Yeah, Melissa?" Lydia turned around on the couch to see the nurse, walk back into the living room and head toward the stairs.

"I want to get your opinion on something. You mind coming to my room with me?"

"Sure." Lydia followed the woman up the stairs and into the master bedroom. She'd been in there before, but it had been at least eight years, maybe longer. At a certain point, it became weird to go into your friend's parents' bedroom.

"Have a seat." Melissa said as she sat down on the bed, after closing the door behind her, and motioned for Lydia to join her.

"Why do I have a feeling you didn't really want my opinion on anything?" Lydia chuckled nervously as she sat down next to Melissa.

"But I do! I want your opinion on how you're doing. I know we didn't get to really talk at the hospital..."

Lydia nodded slowly. "What did Sheriff Stilinski tell you?"

"He said you'd had a fight with your mom, and that you were staying with us for the time being."

"Did he tell you what the fight was about?"

"No," Melissa told her. "But," She put a comforting hand on the banshee's knee. "I had a feeling, and the moment I saw you, I knew." Lydia bit her lip. Did Melissa really know? Her worries that she was going to find herself homeless once again began to plague her thoughts until Melissa asked, "How far along are you?"

Relief flooded her body, and with it came more tears. She shook her head and began to wipe her eyes. "I'm sorry...Um...I don't know? Six...seven weeks?"

"Did Natalie kick you out?"

Lydia shrugged. "I kicked myself out. My mom...she doesn't seem to want to accept the fact that I can go to school and raise a baby. She thinks I have to choose, and she wants me to choose school... I, on the other hand, don't think I have to choose one or the other...but if I did..."Lydia sighed. "Honestly? School could wait."

"What about Aiden?"

Lydia gave her a confused look, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, what does Aiden say about all of this?"

"I haven't told him?" When Lydia saw Melissa's look, something clicked. "Oh! You think...No...Aiden's not the father."

Melissa's eyes widened. "Oh! Well...if you don't mind me asking...who is?"

"Uh...well, that's an interesting story." Lydia began to explain everything to Melissa: the sleep-walking, the missing time, the hypnosis, the random flashes of memories, the letter at Tate's, and the Stiles of it all...

"Wow! Um...okay...that's..." Melissa paused as she tried to think of another word. "Wow! That's...a lot to take in."

Lydia nodded. "Believe me. I know."

"I guess you do." Melissa kept her soft expression as she cocked her head to the side. "You know... you are such a strong young woman...and I admire you so much."

Lydia gave her a watery smile. "Really? You do?"

"Absolutely, kiddo." Melissa wrapped her arms around the banshee for a hug, but then pulled back "Oh wait! Am I still allowed to call you 'kiddo' if you're going to have a kiddo of your own?"

Lydia laughed. "For as long as you want."

"Good." Melissa told her and went back in for the hug once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, guys! So...first off, thank you much for continuing to read this series! That being said, I wanted to let you guys know that I've decided to take the month of July off from updating. Don't worry, it's not going to go anywhere, and it WILL be back in August. This break is for several reasons, and if you want to know just ask (either in the comments or find me on tumblr @eicartgeorge). (Don't worry, it's nothing serious.) In the meantime, I'm going to be working on some of the other stories I've written/am writing, so expect some updates on a few those maybe ;)


	43. Flashback 2.10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! And so is Teen Wolf! Yay!

" _I can't believe I'm doing this." Allison mumbled as she wrung her hands together._

"I _can't believe you're doing this." Malia rolled her eyes._

_Stiles shot her a look, before giving a look to his brother too._

_Allison took a deep breath. "As much as I could have done without comments from the peanut gallery, Malia, I just want to say... thank you for being here."_

_Malia nodded. "No...I...I get it." She took a deep breath. "I was adopted." Scott didn't seem affected by the new information, so she'd probably told him already, but Stiles turned back to her with a softened expression._

" _You were?" Stiles asked her._

_Malia nodded. "It wasn't some big secret in my family. My parents never hid it from me, so I spent my childhood wondering who my biological parents were. Wishing I could talk to them...get to know them..."_

" _Did you ever find out?" Allison asked her._

_Malia nodded hesitantly. "Yeah...and I wish I hadn't."_

" _Were they really that bad?" Stiles asked._

" _My mother is a power hungry sociopath who calls herself the Desert Wolf and tried to kill me when I was a baby...and my father is Peter...who...ironically was also a power hungry sociopath who tried to kill me, so..."_

" _Who you_ did _kill." Stiles stated, in a stunned expression. "You killed your own dad?"_

" _My_ dad _died in a fire set by Kate Argent. I killed my uncle."_

_Stiles cocked his head. "Fair point."_

" _Hewre!" A tiny voice said. Stiles looked down as Nic handed him a toy truck._

" _Oh, thank you." Stiles replied as he held the toy in his hand. Nic walked away a grabbed another truck and put it on Malia's leg._

" _I don't want it." Malia told him bluntly, and attempted to hand it back, but Nic wouldn't take it. The coyote, sat the toy down on the ground and Nic promptly picked it up and handed it back to her. Malia sighed and took the toy truck and rolled it down the hall with a fair amount of force. Nic ran after it._

" _Malia..." Scott chided softly._

" _What?" She snapped slightly._

_Scott shook his head. "Nothing."_

_Stiles cringed inwardly. He hated this weird alpha control Malia had over his brother._

_Nic came running back into the room with the toy truck and gave it back to Malia. She sighed._

" _Fine." She grumbled._

_Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and both Malia and Scott heard Allison's heart rate jump._

" _Don't worry, Allison." Scott told her. "We'll be here the whole time."_

_The brunette nodded before getting up to answer the door for Jackson._

* * *

_The meeting wasn't terrible. In fact, it went surprisingly well. If Allison was basing her feelings toward Jackson off of this one interaction with his son, then she would think he was great. Except that wasn't the case, and she_ knew _that wasn't the case. He had a lot to prove of himself before she would allow Dominic to be alone with Jackson for any amount of time._

_Malia and Scott left Allison's house shortly after Jackson did, leaving Stiles and Allison alone with Nic._

" _So..."Stiles said slowly. "That went better than I expected."_

_Allison nodded. "You and me both."_

" _Tyuhl!" It was two year-old Nic's best attempt at Stiles's name._

" _Yeah, buddy?"_

" _Pway twuck!"_

_He didn't need to be asked twice. In a flash, the teenager was on the floor rolling around (and also rolling the toy trucks around too) while Allison sat back and watched the interaction._

_It was about 15 minutes later when Allison's father walked through the front door. "Is the coast clear?" He asked. He'd purposely stayed out a little later to avoid Jackson- mostly, at Allison's request. They both knew that if Chris were to see Jackson again, things wouldn't end well._

" _Yeah, he's gone." Allison replied. "Do you need any help?" Argent was carrying a few grocery bags._

" _No, this is all I got. Stiles, are you staying for dinner?"_

_Stiles opened his mouth to answer, but Allison spoke for him. "Yes, he is. What are we having?"_

" _I bought lasagna that you bake in the oven for like 20 minutes, then I'm going to toss a salad and I've got garlic bread too."_

" _That sounds great." Stiles told him._

" _Good. Hey, Nic. Wanna help Papa in the kitchen?"_

" _Yeah!" He shouted enthusiastically before getting up and following Argent into the other room._

_Stiles suddenly felt Allison's lips on his ear, then heard her whisper. "Hey, Stiles. Wanna help_ me _upstairs?"_

" _Oh yeah." He said quickly._

* * *

_They stumbled into her bedroom, lips connected, and Allison with her back to the bed and her hands in Stiles's hair. Once they were in, he quickly spun them around, and pushed her back into the door to close it with a_ bang _._

_The loud noise startled them, and they broke away for a moment."Shh!" Allison giggled, putting a finger to her lips._

" _Sorry." He chuckled._

_They stood in silence for a few moments to make sure they didn't hear Argent coming up the stairs or calling them back. When they heard nothing, Allison reached behind her and locked the door, then pulled her shirt over her head. Their lips came together once more and Stiles grabbed the back of her legs and lifted her up. As he walked them over to the bed, Allison tugged at his t-shirt and successfully removed it, just before she felt herself falling and her back hit the bed._

_His lips came crashing back onto hers for a moment, but then left her mouth and worked their way down to her neck. Allison was enjoying the sensations until she felt a strange vibration against her foot, followed by a ringtone. Stiles groaned into her neck before reaching into his pocket for the phone._

" _It's Lydia." He told her. He struggled internally with himself before finally sighing and muting the call. "If it's important she'll call back." He put the phone on the bedside table. "Now, where were we?"_

" _I was just about to do this." Allison said before quickly flipping them over so that she was now on top. She unclasped her bra and took it off, tossing it to the side. Stiles sat up so that she was sitting in his lap, and his mouth latched on to one of her breasts as her fingers threaded through his hair._

_The piercing ringtone suddenly brought them back again._

_Stiles's back hit the bed as he sighed in defeat, and Allison rolled off of him and onto her back so that she was laying next to him and groaned._

_He blindly reached for the phone and didn't even check the caller ID, knowing it would be Lydia again. "Lyds, this better be important because I-" He stopped suddenly and sat up. "Hey, slow down. Are you okay?" Allison sat up too, in concern. "Where are you?" He asked as he swung his legs off of the bed and grabbed his shirt. "Okay. Okay, yeah I'm on my way."_

" _What's wrong? What happened?" Allison asked worriedly._

" _Lydia found a body...a dead body."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Stallison make out session is the weirdest thing I've ever written.


	44. Apologies and Concerns

When Lydia walked back down the stairs, she heard laughter. As she neared the bottom of the steps, she saw Stiles tickling Eli, and realized the laughter she heard was coming from the tiny boy. Kayce jumped onto Stiles's back to “save” her little brother, but Stiles only turned the tickling onto her.

  
  


Lydia smiled and folded her arms in front of her as she leaned against the wall. She couldn't believe that she ever told him that he wouldn't be a good father, or that he would believe she meant it. From the time that Kayce was born Stiles had always been so good with her, then Eli and Dominic. She knew she'd only told him to hurt him, but it couldn't have been further from the truth.

  
  


The doorbell rang, and a moment later, Melissa called, “Dinner's here!”

  
  


“Yay!” Kayce yelled before climbing off of Stiles (they'd apparently changed positions yet again during Lydia's reverie), and Stiles let Eli up and the little boy ran after his sister. Stiles finally saw Lydia standing against the wall and smiled.

  
  


“How long have you been standing there?” He asked.

  
  


She smiled, then looked down and bit her lip. “I'm sorry.”

  
  


“For what?” He asked, his eyebrows knitting together in concern as he stood slowly.

  
  


She gave him a small shrug. “For ever making you think you wouldn't be good at this.”

  
  


It was sort of vague, but he understood. “It's fine-”

  
  


“No, it's not.” She shook her head and walked over to where he stood. She wrapped her arms around his neck, and his hands fell to her waist. She took a deep breath. “I don't care who the father really is...whether it's actually you or not, because...I don't want it to be anyone else.”

  
  


He smiled slowly. “Really?”

  
  


Lydia nodded. “Really.”

  
  


“Wait...does that mean you don't want to find out what happened?”

  
  


“No...I do...I just want to find out for different reasons. Mainly...why and how...not necessarily who.”

  
  


“Hey guys!” Melissa poked her head around the corner. “Food. Come on!”

  
  


* * *

  
  


  
  


Lydia walked into Stiles's room as she tried to dry her hair with a towel. She was already in pajama pants and a tank top. Stiles had taken a shower first and was sitting on his bed holding an envelope in his hand.

  
  


“What are you looking at?” Lydia asked him. He jumped slightly, not having heard her walk into the room. “Sorry.” She chuckled.

  
  


“It's fine.” He told her and held the envelope up.  _Stiles_  was scribbled onto the front.

  
  


“Allison's letter? What does it say?” She sat down next to him as she continued drying her hair.

  
  


“I still haven't read it.” He sighed, then look over at her. “Have you read yours yet?”

  
  


Lydia shook her head. “Not yet. I've got other stuff that I need to read that's probably more important...like letters from colleges telling me if I'm accepted or not.”

  
  


Stiles sighed. “Don't be silly. You know were accepted to everything you applied for. So, where do you want to go?“

  
  


Lydia shrugged as she let the towel in her hand fall to the floor. “I don't know...Before all of this happened I wanted to get as far away from California as possible. I already got a few acceptance letters from the East Coast schools.” She motioned to the stack of envelopes on the bedside table, “These are all of the in-state schools.”

  
  


Stiles recalled the conversation in the car the night of Allison's party, and how he called her selfish for wanting to move away.

  
  


“And now?” He asked her softly.

  
  


“Now?” He nodded and she continued. “Now... I don't care where I go, as long as I'm with you.”

  
  


He gave her a small smile before closing the gap between them. Her hands went to the sides of his face while one of his hands came up to cradle her head.

  
  


“Ahem!” They jumped apart and turned to see Melissa in the doorway. She took a few steps inside the room as she tried to decide what to say. “Um...well first of all...if you don't want to get caught, don't leave the door open.”

  
  


“Noted.” Stiles said with a nod.

  
  


“Secondly...I don't know how I should feel about this.” She gestured to the two of them.

  
  


“You mean us sleeping in the same bed?” Lydia asked. “Because I'm already pregnant. There's not much else that can happen.”

  
  


Melissa nodded and shrugged. “Fair enough..but um...I was talking talking about you guys being...whatever you are...with each other...what exactly is that?”

  
  


“Uhh...” Stiles tried, and exchanged looks with Lydia. “We're...dating?”

  
  


Lydia nodded and they both turned back to Melissa. “Except we just haven't been on a date... yet.”

  
  


He quickly interjected, “But I asked her on one!”

  
  


“That's true!” Lydia pointed at him while keeping her eyes on Melissa.

  
  


Melissa nodded in response. “I'm going to be honest, I've been rooting for you guys for a long time. I just...I can't help but feel like this is just a repeat of Allison.” Melissa quickly corrected herself, “Not that I'm saying you're like Allison, Lydia. It's just...there's a baby involved...again...I feel like it's just the same plot with different characters.”

  
  


“The difference, Mom, is that Dominic wasn't mine. This baby-”

 

“We don't know that.” Lydia shook her head. She knew what she told him, but she didn't feel like he was helping the situation with his mom. Especially after Lydia had told her she had no idea who the father was, she didn't want it to seem like she had been lying.

  
  


“You may not, but I do.” He was looking at her as he spoke, but then turned back to Melissa. “I don't know how or why, but I  _know._ ”

  
  


Melissa nodded as she took in the information. “Okay.” She took a deep breath. “Okay...Well...in that case....I'm happy for you.” Lydia gave her a small smile. “Have a good night-uh..”She shook her head slightly as she realized what she'd just said. “Not  _too_ good of a night though...we do have curious children in the house.”

  
  


Lydia blushed and looked down while Stiles closed his eyes and nodded, and Melissa seemed just as weirded out by the conversation as the teenagers.

  
  


Melissa closed the door behind her and Lydia took a deep breath. “So...Allison's letter...” She changed the topic quickly.

  
  


“Yeah...” Stiles said softly as he looked back at the envelope.

  
  


“Are you going to read it?”

  
  


Stiles stared at the envelope for a moment, contemplating his options before opening the drawer on the bedside table and tossing it in there. “Not tonight.” He wrapped his arms around her, and rolled backwards, pulling her completely onto the bed with him as she let out a small yelp and giggled.


	45. Flashback 2.11

 

" _I'm going with you." Allison told him as she grabbed her shirt and threw it back on._

_Stiles opened the bedroom door and headed down the stairs. "No, you don't need to do that."_

" _Why not? She's my friend too."_

" _She's already calling my dad. I'm just going to wait with her. I'll even bring her back here to eat." He sat down on the couch and grabbed his shoes that he'd taken off earlier and slipped them on._

" _What's going on?" Argent came out of the kitchen with a towel thrown over his shoulder and Dominic in his arms._

_Stiles and Allison looked at each other and Allison sighed. "Lydia found a body."_

" _And I'm going to pick her up." Stiles added. "I think it's better if Ali just stays here."_

" _But I-" Allison tried, but was interrupted by her father._

" _I think Stiles is right. Just wait here, and he'll let you know if you're needed."_

" _Dad..." She wanted to argue, but Argent gave a slight nod to the two year-old in his arms. She sighed. "You're right." Allison turned back to Stiles who was now fully dressed and ready to leave. "Just...be careful."_

" _I will." He promised and gave her a chaste kiss before running out the door._

* * *

" _Lydia!" Stiles called out as he jumped out of the jeep._

" _Stiles!"She ran toward him and threw her arms around him, burying her face into his chest. His arms wrapped protectively around her and he rubbed her back._

_Behind her, he could see the figure in the lifeguard chair and the blood splattered onto the concrete below. The sight made him hug her tighter._

" _What happened?" He asked as she pulled away from him._

" _I don't know...I was trying to go to the store and I just ended up here."_

" _You_ ended up  _here? What does that mean?"_

" _It means exactly what you think it means. I don't remember driving here. It was like I blinked and this is where I was." She shook her head and shakily added, "I don't know what's happening to me."_

_Stiles hugged her again and softly stroked her hair. "We'll figure it out." He told her softly._

* * *

_The Sheriff finished taking her statement and told her she could leave if she wanted to._

" _I'm going back to Allison's for dinner if you want to come with me?" Stiles offered._

"Back to _? You mean you were-"_

" _It doesn't matter." He shook his head quickly and cut her off._

" _I'm sorry." She shook her head and began apologizing. "I shouldn't-"_

" _Lydia!" Stiles stopped her again, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Being here with you was more important than..._ being  _with Allison." She nodded slowly. "Okay...now...for my original question. Her dad is making lasagna if you want to join us."_

_Lydia felt her stomach rumble despite the unappetizing images she'd seen tonight._

" _Sure." She smiled. "I don't want to go home anyway. Do you mind driving?"_

" _Not at all. Let's go."_

_As they pulled onto Allison's street, Stiles saw Lydia grip onto the edge of her seat, her knuckles turning white._

" _Hey, Lyds...what's wrong?"_

_She shook her head. "I don't know... something feels off."_

_When they pulled up to the Argent house, Stiles was starting to feel the same feeling of dread that Lydia had. That's when he noticed the opened front door._

" _Do you see that? The door's open." He said out loud._

" _What are you doing?" She asked him nervously when he parked and opened the Jeep door._

" _I'm going in...maybe they just stepped outside and forgot to close the door."_

" _Stiles, I don't like this." Lydia told him as she got out of the jeep carefully._

" _Well, then stay behind me."_

_Stiles and Lydia walked slowly to the door and he knocked softly. "Hello? Allison? Chris?" He took a careful step inside. The front lights were all out, but he could see a light on down the hall. He fumbled against the wall for the light switch._

" _Mommy?" The lights turned on and Stiles jumped when Dominic stood in front of him with tears rolling down his cheeks._

" _Hey, Buddy." Stiles said softly as he bent down to the small child's level._

" _Stiles?" Lydia mumbled shakily. He looked up at her, then followed her gaze around the room. Knocked over lamps, broken glass, and drops of blood were scattered across the floor._

" _Nic, are you hurt?" Stiles ask him carefully as he picked him up and looked him over._

_Nic shook his head 'no.' "Whewe's Mommy and Papa?"_

" _I don't know, bud..but we're gonna figure it out. Okay?"_

_Dominic nodded as Stiles reached for the phone in his pocket and called Allison. Her phone began to ring from the kitchen. He exchanged looks with Lydia before slowly following the noise, ready to shield Nic from anything he didn't need to see. Like Allison laying dead on the floor. Luckily, her phone was just sitting on the counter right next to her dad's._

" _I think we need to call my dad."_

" _You do it." Lydia told him. "I already called him once tonight."_

_Stiles was dialing his dad when he looked around and sniffed. "What's that smell?"_

" _The oven's still on." Lydia said quickly as she pushed herself into the kitchen and turned the oven off. She took a peek inside and sighed. "That's one lasagna extra crispy."_

" _It was only supposed to take 20 minutes to make. This must have happened right after I left to get you."_

" _Stiles, what is it? I'm kind of busy." His father said when he answered the phone._

" _Dad! It's Allison and her dad. They're missing!"_

" _How do you know they're missing?"_

" _I went back to their house, their door was open and they were gone."_

" _Maybe they just went out to the store and forgot to close the door."_

" _Well, then they also forgot to take Dominic with them and messed up their place pretty bad before they left... And Dad...there's blood. Not a lot, but..."_

_Stilinski sighed. "I'm on my way."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, just a heads up...Once I finish this "season" of the story (so after the next 3 chapters) I'm going to start posting the next part under a different title. I'll confirm everything in the next few chapters to let you know what to be on the lookout for!


	46. Sketchy Closets and Bad Trips

Kira ran her nails down Scott's bare back and her legs were hitched around his waist. Scott suddenly pulled away and Kira was left feeling dizzy.

"What's wrong?" She asked breathless. Scott sat up in the bed and looked around the room and Kira propped herself up on her elbows.

"I hear my phone." He told her and climbed off the bed. They both had stripped down to only their underwear, and Kira was beginning to feel exposed. She sat up and pulled her legs into her chest and rested her chin on one of her knees. Scott found his pants and the phone inside that was on vibrate. "Dad?" He answered after looking at the caller ID.

"Scott...I know it's late. I didn't wake you up did I?" Scott looked at the alarm clock and saw that it was nearly 3 am. "No..I was just hanging out at Kira's. What's up?"

The sheriff sighed. "I'm gong to pretend that 'hanging out' means that you were enjoying a nice cup of coffee and polite conversation across a very long table. We already have one pregnant teenager to worry about."

"Of course that's what I meant." He lied unconvincingly.

"Uh huh...Look...I'm at your teacher's house and I need your opinion on something. Do you think you can get over here?"

"I'll be right there. Text me the address.". Scott hung up and looked over at Kira.

"Did he find something? A clue as to what happened?"

Scott shrugged. "I don't know, but I'm about to go find out."

* * *

"He's with me." Noah vouched for Scott as he appeared at the door to the house. It was being guarded by an officer and blocked off by  _Crime Scene_  tape, which he easily slipped under as the officer stepped aside.

"Have they released the body yet?" Scott asked, assuming that was the reason his father had called him.

Stilinski shook his head. "Not yet, but the CDC gave us the all clear to search the house. I mean... I'm pretty sure their deaths are related to the supernatural somehow, but that doesn't mean that the motive isn't human, so we came in looking for anything that would make them targets... but..."

"But what?" Scott asked as the Sheriff led him into the master bedroom.

"One of my guys, found this door inside their closet." They stepped into the closet and behind a rack of clothes there was a door with a keypad on it. "Sketchy, right?"

"Just a little." Scott nodded.

"So, I started looking for any clues as to what the combination would be. We tried anniversaries, birthdays, but nothing was working."

"So, you want me to help you figure out the code? Because that seems more like a job for Stiles."

The Sheriff shook his head. "No, because then I got really curious and started digging through the sock drawer and that's when I found this." The sheriff pulled a tiny notebook out of his back pocket. There were two sets of numbers 7 digits long each. The first set had a line drawn through it.

"The door code?"

The sheriff nodded. "I had someone look into it. This system was installed a little over four months ago and the code is reset every three months. The first string of numbers must have been the first code and the second string is the current code."

"So you were able to get in?"

The sheriff nodded slowly, before punching in the code 5-3-2-7-3-9-2. A green light flashed and the door unlocked. "Something seemed familiar about the string of numbers, but it didn't click until I started looking around."

The sheriff pushed the door open, and Scott began again, "I still don't understand why you didn't call Stiles. This is more his territory, don't you think?"

"More than you know." The sheriff flipped on the light. The room was very small, space only enough for a desk and a chair. The desk was completely cleared except for a small lamp and the walls were bare aside from two pieces of paper hung on the wall.

"Holy shit." Scott mumbled as he stared at the wall.

"My sentiments exactly." The Sheriff said with a nod. "And that's when I realized why that number seemed familiar."

Scott looked back at the paper on the left. "Stiles's student ID number."

Stilinski nodded. "So, I looked into it." He looked up at the paper on the right. "The first number was Lydia's."

* * *

Lydia shot straight up in bed, taking huge gulps of air.

"What's wrong?" Stiles mumbled as he tried sitting up. He carefully put a hand on her back.

"He was after me."

"Who?"

"Peter...but..."She paused as she thought about it. "I don't know...it was strange."

"Was it like a premonition?" He asked, but Lydia was shaking her head before he could finish his sentence.

"No...it was like a memory...but...not?" She grasped his hand and looked at him. "You were there...I saw your face, but it was cloudy and you told me you were keeping me safe and to focus on your voice and that everything would be okay." She pinched the bridge of her nose . "There were so many screams, and they were so loud I thought my head was going to explode."

"It was just a nightmare." Stiles tried to reassure her, but Lydia bit her lip.

"I don't know. It didn't feel like my normal nightmares or premonitions. Like I said...it was sort of like a memory."

"It sounds like a bad trip." He murmured with his usual level of sarcasm.

Lydia suddenly gripped his hand tightly. "Oh my God." There were hazy flashes popping up in her mind.

_Sitting in front of a van talking to some guys she didn't know._

_Grabbing a cup sitting next to her._

_Noticing a smirk on one guy's face._

_Catching sight of herself in the window of the van, a white and yellow flower crown in her hair._

_Handing Stiles an empty cup. "Sorry..." She'd said._

" _I didn't have a drink." Stiles had replied._

_Stiles punching the guy who had smirked at her. "Did you drug her, you son of a bitch?"_

"Lydia!"

Lydia snapped out of the memory and dropped Stiles's hand. "I was drugged."

"What? When?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. You were there though... you punched the guy."

"I should have done a lot more than just punch him."

Lydia wrinkled her forehead as she tried to remember. "You wanted to. I think I stopped you."

"Do you remember anything else?"

"A van? And...I was wearing a flower crown."

"And this really happened?"

"I think so ." She put a hand to her head. "It's all really fuzzy."

There was a soft knock and a whispered "Stiles?"

"Yeah?" Stiles replied to his brother.

Scott opened the door slowly. "Good...you guys are up...Can you come downstairs? Dad and I need to talk to you about something."

Stiles and Lydia exchanged looks. What now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: Stiles's student ID number in the show is KFBR392. I took the letters and translated them to the number that they would be on a phone, and that's how I got his ID number for the code in this chapter.


	47. Flashback 2.12

 

_Allison opened her eyes slowly. Where was she? She was laying on the floor, but her head was still spinning. She tried to reach her hand to her forehead when she realized she couldn't move. Panic flooded through her body. "Dad!"_

" _I'm here, Allison." She heard her father's calming voice, but she couldn't see him._

" _Dad, I can't move." Her voice quivered._

" _Take a deep breath, sweetheart. I'm pretty sure we've been drugged with something called kanima venom. It paralyzes your body from the neck down. The effects normally last for several hours. It's just something we're going to have to let run its course._

_She blinked tears out of her eyes, and tried to nod. "Okay." She took a few deep breaths. "Where are we?"_

" _It's a bank vault." She heard a voice that didn't belong to her father. It was female and sounded young._

" _Who are you?" Allison asked the new person._

" _My name's Cora. Cora Hale."_

" _H-H-Hale?" Allison stuttered. "Any relation to Derek and Malia?"_

" _Yeah, they're my brother and sister. You know them?"_

_Allison attempted a shrug. "I helped save Derek's life when my aunt tried to kill him, and Malia was just at my house this afternoon."_

" _So they're okay?" Cora asked timidly._

" _Last I checked."_

_Cora sighed, and Argent spoke up. "Cora, I'm Chris and this is my daughter Allison. You said this was a bank vault?"_

" _Yeah..um...I've only caught a few murmurings here and there, but it sounds like the bank closed a few years back, so they're using it as a base of operations."_

" _Who is_ they _?" Chris asked._

" _The alpha pack."_

" _Jackson." Allison said in realization. "That bastard! He-oh my God! Dominic! Where's Dominic? Where's my son?"_

" _He's fine." Jackson's voice came from outside of the room, but then she heard the vault door open and close, then two thuds, and then Jackson was kneeling in front of her._

" _You son of a bitch." Allison scathed._

" _I would never hurt him." Jackson said so seriously she almost believed him. "They promised me they wouldn't bring him here, and I waited at your house to make sure he was okay."_

" _If you waited there, then where is he?"_

" _Your boyfriend and his girlfriend have him."_

 _Allison clenched her eyes shut in anger since she couldn't clench her fists. "You mean Stiles and Lydia." It wasn't a question. "He's with_ me _. She's just his friend. There's nothing going on between them."_

_Jackson let out a laugh. "It's cute that you believe that."_

_She knew Jackson was just trying to get into her head, bur it didn't stop that bit of doubt. "He loves_ me. _"_

" _I'm sure that's true. It doesn't mean he can't love her too."_

" _He doesn't." She told him again. "Not in that way."_

_Jackson chuckled. "Are you trying to convince me or yourself?"_

_Allison couldn't stop the hot tears from burning her cheeks as Jackson silently stood up and walked away. She heard the door open and shut once more._

_There was a groan from somewhere in the room, then a softly whispered, "C-Cora?"_

" _Malia?" Cora whispered back._

" _Malia!" Allison said in shock, but unable to see the alpha. "What happened?"_

" _Allison?" Malia asked._

" _Yeah."_

" _I..I don't remember."_

" _What's going on?" There was another mumble._

" _Scott?" Malia wondered aloud. "The last thing I remember you were leaving my place."_

" _That's the last thing I remember too."_

" _Well..." Another voice joined the conversation. "Sounds like the gang's all here."_

" _Grandpa?" Allison recognized the voice at the same time as her father said, "Dad?"_

* * *

" _Scott's not answering his phone." Melissa told Stiles worriedly. "Have you heard from him recently?"_

" _Not for a couple of hours." Stiles replied. "I'll try calling Malia and see if she knows where he's at."_

" _Okay, let me know if you hear anything."_

" _Will do."_

_Stiles hung up and looked at Lydia. They sat at the foot of Allison's bed as Nic slept on it. With some convincing from Stiles, the Sheriff decided to let the two of them stay with him upstairs while the rest of the sheriff's department examined the crime scene below._

" _Was that your mom?"_

_Stiles nodded. "Scott's not answering." He shakily dialed Malia's number, and it went directly to voicemail._

" _Stiles," Lydia said softly as she heard his breathing become shallow. "Are you okay?"_

" _I...I think I'm having a panic attack."_

" _Okay, hey." She said as she took his phone and grabbed his hands. "Everything's going to be okay, just try to get your mind off it. Think of something else."_

" _Like what?"_

" _Like...remember the first time I kissed you?"_

 _Stiles shook his head and let out a breathy laugh. "_ I _kissed_ you _."_

" _I think it was mutual."_

_He nodded slowly as he tried to catch his breath. "We were twelve." Lydia nodded and him to go on. "We were invited to go to our first middle school party and you watch way too much TV." He let a out a chuckle, his breathing slowly returning to normal._

" _I was worried they would play spin the bottle or seven minutes in heaven and my first kiss would be with somebody I didn't know or like."_

" _So I suggested that we kiss each other, to get the whole first kiss thing out of the way...that way it wouldn't matter if we got paired with somebody we didn't know."_

" _Do you remember where we were?"_

" _The game room at your house." He answered immediately. "That's when I kissed you."_

"I  _kissed_ you. _"_

" _Then you suggested we practice kissing with each other."_

" _And you were very quick to agree."_

" _Hey... kissing is fun."_

" _I have been told I'm a very good kisser. I guess I have you to think for that." Stiles laughed. Lydia was quiet for a moment listening to his breathing to make sure it was normal again. "Are you okay now?"_

_Stiles nodded slowly. "Yeah. I'm good. Thanks." He smiled and squeezed her hand a little bit tighter. She returned the smile and rested her head on his shoulder._

_There was tap at Allison's door and Sheriff Stilinski walked in. "We have something."_

* * *

" _I'm going to ask you one more time, then I'm going to stop asking." Kali growled at Malia, whose face was bloody and beaten. "Kill your beta, and join our pack." Malia looked over to Scott._

" _No. I won't kill him."_

" _Fine." Kali dropped her, and Malia landed with a thud on the ground."Bring them in, baby."_

_Ennis smiled wickedly. "As you wish."_

_A few moments later, Chris, Gerard, and Allison were thrown onto the floor. Malia couldn't help but sigh in relief that it wasn't Cora. Thankfully, it seemed they hadn't made the connection between the two. Plus, Cora had explained that she'd been starved of moonlight for months and the moonlight was shining all over this room. They would all be torn to pieces if she were let out._

" _The Argents." Deucalion said menacingly. "The oldest family of hunters known to us."_

" _We don't hunt." Allison spat. "We protect."_

_Deucalion tilted his head softly to the side before Gerard opened his mouth and growled. "Speak for yourself, Allison." Deucalion's features hardened again, before he cocked his head toward the three of them. Ethan and Aiden walked forward toward the family._

" _Wait," Jackson tried with some hesitation. "What are you-"_

_Aiden turned to Jackson and stopped him from going to them, as Ethan picked Allison up with protests from Argent and Gerard._

" _Please!" Allison begged as she was dragged toward Malia. Ennis turned the dial on the electricity that was linked to the shackles on Malia, high enough that it forced her to shift. "Please don't kill me!" Allison cried. "I have a son. Please don't do this."_

_Ennis grabbed Malia and forced her mouth open, but at the same time Ethan and Kali paused what they were doing, the statement of Allison being a mother catching them off guard._

_Ethan looked up at Jackson. "You said he was her brother."_

_Jackson didn't try responding, knowing he wasn't good enough at controlling his heartbeat._

" _Who cares!" Deucalion said quickly as he took matters into his own hands, grabbing Allison's arm and bringing it down to Malia's open mouth._

_The doors were suddenly opening and there was yelling and gun fire. The sheriff's department had shown up at the same that Derek, Peter, Isaac, Boyd, and Erica had. Ethan tossed Allison back to her father, and Ennis dropped Malia. Scott scrambled toward her the best he could, the venom just in the beginnings of wearing off. Because of the pain, the venom was leaving Malia's body a lot faster and she quickly struggled to her feet and ran out of the door._

" _Wait, Malia!" Scott called to her. The alphas left as fast as they could. They didn't want to get killed, and killing all of these people was not part of their plan._

_The shooting stopped and Stiles ran in, and found Allison._

" _Allison! Are you okay?"_

" _Where's Nic?" She asked him urgently._

" _He's with Lydia."_

" _Have you been with her this whole time?"_

_Stiles shook his head in confusion, unsure if he was hearing her correctly. "Yeah we were watching Nic while we waited for news about you." He reached for her but she jerked away from him and stumbled to her feet. "Ali? Wait..." He reached out and grabbed her arm, the teeth marks deep and clearly visible. She jerked it away from him as quickly as she could. "Who bit you?"_

_She shook her head and bit her lip angrily, before hobbling toward the door._

" _Malia." Argent whispered before glaring at his father._

" _Why would she-" Stiles began, but Chris shook his head._

" _She didn't have a choice. They forced her to. She was too weak to fight them."_

_Stiles looked around the room. "Wait..where did Malia go?"_

_Malia rushed back into the room and bent over in pain. "I've got some bad news." She told the room. "Cora's missing." Stiles looked around at the mixture of confused and worried faces._

" _Okay, I'll bite. Who's Cora, and why is it bad that she's missing?"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, so I've got a question.
> 
> This story is also being posted on fanfiction.net and since I started posting it, I've tried adding different ways that you can read the chapters. On FF.net, I only have "Find My Way Back..." posted, and I got a lot comments about liking the present day chapters more, which is why I added the chapters separately on here (under "What If" and "Now What") when I began posting this story here.
> 
> Since this "season 2" of chapters is coming to a close, I'm starting a new story on FF.net to keep this story from becoming over 100 chapters long (I have this fear that if a new reader sees that a story is over 100 chapters, they won't want to read it-maybe it's a silly fear), but also because I want to try a new way of posting (having both present day and flashback chapters in every post) and I'm too OCD to change up the chapter structure in the middle of a story.
> 
> So, my question is, what would the readers on here like to see? I can either A) Continue posting under Find My Way Back to You, keeping the same alternating chapters , B) Start the new story with the combined Flashback/Present Day chapters or C) Start the new story, but continue with the alternating chapters.
> 
> If I don't get a response, I'll just keep doing it this way I guess.
> 
> (No matter what, I still plan on posting the chapters under the "What If"/"Now What" stories)
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> How should this series continue? (Clicking on one of the answers below will record your answer in an online poll-I don't know why the first answer is underlined) 
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> [ ](http://www.poll-maker.com/poll1862834xA8404bD4-50#A1)
> 
> [I like it just the way it is, don't change a thing ](http://www.poll-maker.com/poll1862834xA8404bD4-50#A1)  
>   
> [ I would like to see the chapters combined so that I'll get twice as much story with every post ](http://www.poll-maker.com/poll1862834xA8404bD4-50#A2)  
> [ I like it the way it is, but I think you should start a new story to break it up ](http://www.poll-maker.com/poll1862834xA8404bD4-50#A3)  
> ***Also, yes...Malia is an alpha...and yes, she did just bite Allison... Does this call for a re-read of present day chapters to see if I left hints that Allison had possibly been bitten? (Spoiler alert: I did.) Did anybody catch those? 


	48. Hers and Burgers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Couple of things before you start reading this chapter.
> 
> 1) Two options from the poll last time are neck and neck: Option A (Keeping everything the exact same) and Option B (posting both chapters at the same time). If I take the poll at face value, Option B is ahead by 1 and If I assume that the people who weighed in on it in the comments didn't vote in the poll, then they're either tied or Option A is one ahead. Either way it's really close, especially since there weren't a ton of votes. The smallest percentage was people who wanted me to start a new story, but keep the alternating chapters the same, which ironically was the one I was leaning toward. So, I'm just going to keep everything exactly the same for now (at least for the next set of chapters and we'll see what happens)
> 
> 2) I know it's kind of early, but I started thinking about writing Christmas/Holiday fics... and I have this (possibly somewhat unrealistic) dream of doing a 25 days of Stydia Christmas one shot series and post like one story a day for the month of December... so I want/need prompts. I made a post on tumblr about it, so take a look :)
> 
>  
> 
> <https://eicartgeorge.tumblr.com/post/164718809006/send-me-stydia-christmasholiday-prompts>  
> 

“Our pictures?” Lydia asked Scott and Noah, just to make sure she heard them correctly.

 

“Yeah,” Scott replied. “The desk was empty...the pictures on the wall were the only thing in there.” Lydia, Scott, and the Sheriff all turned to Stiles.

 

“Stiles?” Noah said his name, waiting for him to go off with questions or theories.

 

Stiles looked back at Lydia, and bounced his leg. “I mean...” He began. “Were they at least good pictures?” The other three groaned.

 

“Stiles...” Noah said with an eye roll.

 

“What?! I don't know what you want me to say.”

 

“Well, can you think of a reason why your teacher would have your picture locked in a secret room with your student ID number as a code?”

 

“Dad, don't you think that if I knew I would have already said something?” The sheriff sighed, knowing his son had a point, but still not appreciating the sarcasm this time.“Sorry! I’m just...I'm honestly not surprised with all of the crazy stuff that’s been happening lately, and the only people that probably know why it was there are dead.”

 

“Maybe they knew what happened to us.” Lydia said softly, her hand absentmindedly rubbing her stomach. “Do you think they were killed because of it?”

 

Scott shook his head slightly. “No… not exactly. I could smell their chemo signals left behind in the room.” He paused and looked back at the Sheriff and he gave the alpha a small nod. “I think they were killed because they wanted to kill you first.”

 

Lydia’s hand came out to grasp Stiles’s. “What? Why?”

 

Noah shook his head and shrugged. “I don’t know. I wish I did.”

 

“So,” Stiles began, as he rubbed small circles on Lydia’s hand in an effort to calm her down. “Do you think they were killed by someone who wanted to protect us?”

 

The Sheriff raised his eyebrow suspiciously. “Why? What are you thinking?”

 

* * *

 

 

Scott barreled into the almost empty classroom.

 

“Scott-“ Peter started as he stood up and put a hand out. Scott grabbed the former alpha by his collar and slammed him against the wall. “What do you know?!”

 

“Well, that’s a very broad question-“

 

Scott yanked him away and slammed him against the wall again. “Tell me what you know!” Peter looked over Scott’s shoulder and saw Lydia and Stiles walk into the room.

 

Peter let out a deep breath. “How much do _you_  know?”

 

“Pretty much nothing.” Lydia told him with an eye roll.

 

“Just that the Finches had pictures of Lydia and I in a room that only ever had two passwords that… coincidentally, or not… were mine and Lydia’s student ID numbers.”

 

Peter gritted his teeth. “That’s all I know too.”

 

“Stop lying!” Scott growled.

 

“I’m not!” Peter yelled angrily, then took a deep breath. “I don’t know anything else.”

 

Scott’s eyes narrowed. “But you know someone who does.”

 

Peter didn’t make a move for several moments, but then he nodded.

 

“Who?” Lydia asked him.

 

Peter shook his head. “I can’t.”

 

“Tell us!” Scott growled again, slamming him once more.

 

Peter opened his mouth, but no words came out. He shook his head again.

 

“Scott,” Lydia whispered. “I don’t think he can.”

 

“What do you mean?” He asked, but kept his eyes on Peter.

 

“I mean, I don’t think he physically _can_. Something is stopping him.”

 

Scott looked Peter in the eye, trying to determine if he believed him or not. Finally deciding that he did, he slowly released the hold on Peter’s collar.

 

“You said you wanted to protect us.” Stiles spoke again. “What are you protecting us from?”

 

“I don’t know. She won’t tell me.”

 

“She?” Lydia questioned.

 

Peter shook his head. “I’m sorry. That’s all I can say.”

 

* * *

 

 

“Do you trust him?” Scott asked Stiles and Lydia.

 

“God, Scott…I don’t know.” Stiles sighed and ran a hand through his hair, then looked over at Lydia. “Are you okay, Lyds?”

 

“Huh?” Lydia looked up suddenly.

 

“You’re not eating your salad.”

 

“Oh,” She looked back, not realizing she’d just been poking at it for the past ten minutes instead of eating it. “It just wasn’t what I wanted.”

 

“Well, you should still eat it. You need to eat something.” She looked over at his plate with half of a burger still sitting there uneaten.

 

“Can I eat that?”

 

Stiles looked down at his food, then back at Lydia. “You want my hamburger?” She rubbed her lips together and nodded. “Um...I mean… sure, okay.”

 

Lydia happily took Stiles’s plate and handed him her salad.

 

“So…”Stiles began as he pushed the salad around on his plate. “I was thinking…remember how you thought you may have been drugged?”

 

He looked up at Lydia who had just taken a large bite of her (well Stiles’s) hamburger. She nodded as she chewed her food, then swallowed. “Yeah. Why?”

 

“Well, I was thinking… it probably won’t show up in a blood test, but depending on the drug, maybe it would show up in a hair test. We could at least find out what the drug was.”

 

She shrugged and took another bite of the burger. “Maybe.” She mumbled with her mouth full. “Are you going to drink that?” She asked pointing to Stiles's milkshake.

 

He let out a small chuckle before sliding it over to her. “Take it.” Stiles looked up at Scott, whose mind seemed to be somewhere else. “Hey, man. What's up?”

 

Scott shook his head. “Just thinking.”

 

“About what?”

 

“I'm wondering if it would be a good idea to follow to Peter and find out who it is that actually knows what's going on.”

 

“I don't know...”Stiles shook his head. “Whoever this person is, they somehow stopped Peter from saying anything about them. We don't know what they can do, so I don't think it's a good idea.”

 

“There may be people who are trying to kill you.” Scott sounded confused and upset. “You just want to sit back and do nothing?”

 

Stiles took a deep breath. “Honestly? This person seems to be doing a good job of keeping us safe at the moment. What if going after them puts us into more danger? I don't think we should do anything until we know more.”

 

“Lydia?” Scott asked, turning to the banshee to get her opinion.

 

Lydia looked up from the milkshake mid-slurp. “I'm sorry.” She said after she swallowed her drink. “I didn't catch what we were talking about.”

 

“Following Peter to get more information from the person who knows everything.”

 

Lydia shook her head. “No. Not a good idea. We don't know anything about her.”

 

“Except that's she's a _her_.” Stiles commented.

 

“Well,” Scott argued. “Isn't that the point? If you were in the police and you were trying to catch an associate of a criminal, you'd follow them and have a stake out.”

 

“Yeah,” Stiles interjected. “You're talking about _humans_ who are affected by _guns_. Not supernatural creatures that can smell emotions and hear heartbeats fifty feet away. We don't know what kind of powers she has or if she could kill you with a flick of wrist. I mean...we still don't know how the Finches died.”

 

Scott sighed. “Deaton got the all clear to see Dr. Finch today.”

 

“Deaton!” Stiles said with some excitement. “There's an idea! Talk to him and find out if he knows what kind of creature could control what someone says. Get as much information as you can before going after them blind.”

 

“Okay, fine. You're right.” Scott reluctantly agreed just as the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch.

 

* * *

 

Lydia walked into Stiles's bedroom, drying her hair once more. When she saw Stiles sitting on the bed with an envelope in his hand she took a step back out into the hallway, looked around for a moment, then walked back in.

 

“Okay, I think I'm having _deja vu_.” She announced.

 

“What?” He asked looking up from the letter.

 

“Me, drying my hair... you, looking at the envelope...”

 

“Oh...”

 

Lydia groaned. “Stiles, just read it! I'll read mine too if it'll make you feel better.”

 

Stiles bit his thumbnail, as he weighed his options, and finally sighed. “Okay. Deal.”

 

Lydia found the unopened envelope with her name on it and sat down next to Stiles. “Do you want to read them at the same time, or do you want to go first?”

 

“Those are my only two options?”

 

“Yep.”

 

He sighed. “Same time.”

 

Stiles slowly opened the envelope and pulled out two pieces of paper.

 

_Stiles,_

 

_I don't know what to say, except..._

 

_I hate the way things were left between us. I can't begin to apologize for hurting you the way I did. You were honestly the first boy I truly loved, and I ruined it. I know you though, and if we were having this conversation in person, that would have been the part where you interrupted me and blamed yourself somehow. Just know...the way it all fell apart was on me. Nothing you did, or could have done, changed that in any way. I break things. I broke us... and I'm sorry._

 

_Dominic misses you and he drew you a picture that I'm including in the envelope._

 

_I want to tell you why I left, but I can't. Just know that I had a good reason and that Nic and I are both safe. Maybe our paths will cross again someday, but until then..._

 

_All my love,_

 

_Allison_

 

_P.S. I know that the subject of Lydia has always been a rocky one for us, but it's because I could always see how much she loved you (I know you loved her too) and how much better she was for you than me. She didn't come with baggage and you guys had a history. I knew you guys would never hurt me while we were together, and I'm sorry if my jealousy made things difficult for your friendship. Although, I have a feeling that now that I'm not there, you guys may realize how perfect you are for each other, and if so, I just want to let you know that you both deserve to be happy and I'm happy for you._

_P.P.S. If I totally misread that and just made things super awkward, then just forget I said anything._

 

Stiles let out a small laugh and looked at the other paper at Nic's stick figure drawing.

 

“What did yours say?” Lydia asked him.

 

“She apologized for ruining our relationship, said she couldn't say why she left, but that she had a good reason and that she and Nic were safe. Then she gave us her blessing.” Lydia gave him a small smile. “What about yours?”

 

Lydia looked down at the letter, catching the phone number and the words _T_ _ell no one._

 

“I'm sorry.” She told him as she grabbed his hand. “I can't tell you.”

 


	49. Flashback 3.1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright guys, I'm back! So sorry for the delay... I literally had this chapter completely written before I even posted the last chapter.... and then I freaked out, and it went through several rewrites... I have no idea what happened. Thanks to @lizzyberry28 on Tumblr for being a third pair of eyes on this chapter and dealing with my freak outs at 3 am!
> 
>  
> 
> Also, if you get a chance, read this post. https://eicartgeorge.tumblr.com/post/164718809006/send-me-stydia-christmasholiday-prompts I want to write a ton of Christmas/Holiday Stydia fics and I need prompts. If you think of anything, send me an ask on tumblr, DM me on twitter, or leave me a comment on here!

" _Allison?" Mrs. Morrell whispered softly._

_The brunette bit her lip. Her arms were folded, and she slouched in the chair in front of Morrell's desk._

_The guidance counselor sighed and leaned forward. "This is a safe space, Allison. I know what's happening to you."_

" _You have no idea what's happening to me!" Allison snapped, immediately regretting it. "I'm…I'm sorry."_

" _It's fine." Morrell seemed unphased. "You're upset. You have every right to be. Getting bit wasn't exactly something you had planned."_

" _Not something I had_ planned _? It's something I didn't_ want _. I_ never  _wanted it. How am I supposed to take care of Dominic, when I could kill him without even realizing it?"_

" _Dominic is your son?"_

_Allison nodded and was silent for a moment, before beginning again, "I come from a family of hunters. If one of us were to get bit, we're supposed to kill ourselves before the first full moon."_

_Morrell nodded. "I'm aware of the Hunter's code." The counselor cocked her head to the side. "Are you telling me you're thinking about following the code?"_

_Allison shrugged. "I guess I still have a few weeks to figure it out."_

* * *

" _Allison won't talk to me." Stiles said as he plopped himself down in the chair._

_Morrell looked up from her lunch and sighed. "Nice to see you too, Stiles."_

" _She's not talking to me and I'm worried."_

" _She's trying to process a huge change in her life, you just need to give her some time."_

" _But I don't want to give her time, because that means I need to stop talking to her, and then I'm afraid she'll think I'm ignoring her."_

" _She won't think that. Just tell her you're going to respect her wishes and leave her alone, but that you'll be there when she's ready to talk."_

_Stiles sighed and leaned back in the chair._

" _Do you think that'll work?"_

" _Well, there's only one way to find out."_

* * *

" _Scott," Morrell began softly. "Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" The beta had come into her office and sat down without saying a word. "You were going to tell your parents about the supernatural...did it not go as well as you hoped?"_

" _No," He shook his head. "It went great. They're actually being really understanding."_

" _Then what is it?"_

_Scott sighed. "I think Malia's ignoring me."_

_Morrell nodded slowly. "Okay..."_

" _I mean, she's been with Cora ever since they found her, and right now things don't look good...they think Cora was poisoned and the last time I spoke to Malia, she was talking about giving up her alpha spark to save her sister. She wasn't sure if it would work, but I haven't heard from her, and she hasn't been at school...and I don't know if this concern is because she's the alpha, or because she's my girlfriend."_

_Morrell nodded again, "Well-"_

_Her office door swung open. "Tell him to leave me alone!" Scott and Morrell both turned to Allison._

" _Allison," Morrell motioned to Scott, "I'm with another student-"_

" _No, it's fine." Scott shook his head and stood. "I'm sorry to bother you-"_

" _Scott," Morrell tried but he just shook his head and walked away. Morrell let out a deep sigh, then motioned Allison to the now-empty chair._

_Allison sat slowly, obviously feeling bad for interrupting Scott's session. Morrell folded her hands and cocked her head, waiting for Allison to begin._

" _It's Stiles. He won't get off my back."_

_Morrell let out a sigh. She tried to tell the poor boy. "He's just concerned."_

_The door swung open again. "Mrs. Morrell I-" Stiles began but then saw Allison sitting down. "Oh...I..."_

" _Stiles!" Morrell said happily. "Perfect. Please, have a seat."_

" _I should go." Allison tried to stand, but Morrell stopped her._

" _Allison, sit. We should all talk about this together." Allison settled back and Morrell turned to Stiles. "Close the door, and uh...lock it this time. We don't need anymore interruptions. " Stiles did as he was asked and grabbed an extra chair from the corner. "Allison, please continue."_

_Allison looked down. "I've asked you repeatedly to give me some space. Why can't you accept that?"_

" _Because I'm worried about you, Ali. I'm worried that you're pushing people away when now is the time that you really need someone."_

" _Well, I don't need you!" Allison snapped without even looking at him._

" _Wh...what?" Stiles looked as if he'd been hit._

_Morrell spoke up, "Alright, let's-"_

_But Allison cut her off. "I've been avoiding you on purpose, Stiles. I can't stand to look at you." Stiles blinked as hot tears sprung to his eyes. "Because this is all your fault."_

" _M..My fault? What the hell are you talking about? I had nothing to do with you getting bit! If you want to blame somebody blame Gerard...you know...the guy who was apparently egging them on-"_

" _Don't bring my family into this!" Allison finally turned to look at him. "I didn't see you being much help."_

" _How could I help?! I wasn't even there when you guys were taken-"_

" _Exactly. You weren't there! Because you were off with Lydia!"_

" _Oh my fucking...are you kidding me? You're bringing up my friendship with Lydia_ again _? Be glad I was with her, because I would have been taken too and then Dominic would have been by himself for God knows how long-"_

" _Jackson was watching him-"_

" _Jackson?! Are you hearing yourself right now? He wasn't even inside the house. There was broken glass everywhere, Nic could have gotten hurt-"_

" _You left him alone later-"_

" _I left him with_ Lydia _, someone I trust a hell of a lot more than Jackson."_

" _There we go again with Lydia." Allison scoffed and rolled her eyes._

" _What the hell is your problem?!"_

" _You're my problem. Being with you has proven to be more bad than good."_

_Stiles glared angrily, tears still burning his eyes. "What are you saying?"_

" _I'm saying...I don't want to be with you, Stiles." Allison looked away. "I'm saying...I wish I never met you. Any of you."_

_He stood from the chair, breathing heavily. "Well, fuck you very much."_

_Morrell blinked a few times. She'd tried several times to interject, but they wouldn't let her get a word in edgewise. "Stiles, wait-" She attempted, but then the door slammed behind him. "Well..." She began as Allison still sat there. "I feel like that could have gone better."_

_Allison looked up at the counselor with tears in her eyes. "I didn't mean it.."_

_Morrell shrugged, and told her honestly, "I think I'd beg to differ. I think you meant everything. And I think under normal circumstances you would have just kept it to yourself. But nothing about your circumstances is normal." Allison bit a quivering lip,and nodded slowly."Maybe you should apologize."_

" _No...it's better this way. He deserves better than me...He deserves to be with someone who's going to be around."_

" _Where are you going to be, if not around?"_

" _France. We're moving. There's someone there who's supposed to be able to help me learn control. I may be back...but I don't know when."_

" _Why didn't you just tell him that?"_

" _Because it'll be easier if he's angry with me."_

" _Easier for who?" Morrell asked the brunette, but Allison only shook her head._

* * *

_Mrs. Morrell was headed to her car when she saw Scott walking to his. It had been over a week since he'd left her office after they were interrupted and she hadn't seen him again._

" _Scott!" She called out to him and he turned to look at her._

" _Hey, Mrs. Morrell." He smiled._

" _You seem happy."_

" _Yeah, I'm going to go see Malia today."_

" _Oh! How is she?"_

" _I don't know. I just finally decided I was going to go visit her."_

" _Oh..."She said with surprise. "Well...be safe."_

" _Thanks. I will."_

_Morrell reached for her keys to unlock her car, when she realized she didn't have them on her. "Ugh...dammit." She muttered before turning back to head toward the school. She passed Lydia, who seemed to be annoyed as she marched past the guidance counselor. Then she noticed where the frustration had most likely come from. Morrell cleared her throat as she passed the couple whose tongues were shoved down each others' throats. They separated and she gave them a polite smile. "Caitlyn.. Stiles."_

" _Mrs. Morrell." They both mumbled. Morrell shook her head once she passed them. At least Stiles seemed to be moving on._

* * *

" _Lydia, are you okay?" Morrell asked the strawberry-blonde as she sat in the chair across from her._

_Lydia knitted her eyebrows together and looked around to see if there was another 'Lydia' she was missing. "I'm fine._ You're _the one who called_ me _in here."_

" _Well, I've just seen a lot of your friends in my office recently. Plus Allison just moved away, and I know you two were close..."_

" _We're still close." Lydia shrugged. "We email like everyday. Honestly, Stiles is the one who took it hardest, but he's off screwing a different girl each night, so I think he's okay now."_

" _Did either of them talk about their break up?"_

" _You mean about how Allison used mine and Stiles's relationship to sabotage theirs? Yeah. She told me. She wanted me to hear it from her. To know it was true, but that she didn't mean it. And once she moved, I think Stiles understood it too. I don't think it made it hurt any less though."_

" _So, you're good?"_

" _I'm fantastic! I've got a wonderful boyfriend, it's the last day of school, and I'm throwing an end-of-the-school-year party this weekend. I've got this life thing pretty figured out."_

* * *

" _You're breaking up with me?!" Lydia exclaimed, blinking a few times. When Aaron had asked her to come over, this was not what she thought would happen._

" _Lydia…"Aaron said slowly._

" _I guess I should have seen this coming. You're going to go off to school, and I'm sure you want to be able to date as you wish, and not have to worry about having a high school girlfriend back home." Aaron didn't deny it, and Lydia shook her head. "I guess I can at least appreciate the fact you told me right before my party so that I can get completely shit-faced and not have to worry about the repercussions." She sniffed as she gathered her bag. "Thanks."_

" _Oh, hi Lydia!" Aubrey greeted her as she walked through the door, just as Lydia was trying to leave._

" _Hi, Aubrey." Lydia mumbled as her eyes shone with tears._

_Lydia could just make out Aubrey's voice saying, "Aaron, what did you do?" As the teenager made her way out of the house._

* * *

" _Scott?" Melissa knocked on his door, but Scott couldn't bring himself to answer her. He squeezed his eyes closed and gathered the blanket tighter around him. He heard his door open and Melissa was walking toward him. "Hey, kiddo... do you want to eat breakfast?"_

" _No." Scott told her softly. He was afraid if he said much more, he would break down again. He hadn't left his room in several days and even missed Lydia's party the night before. Part of him knew she'd be pissed, the other part didn't really care._

_He was grieving. After not hearing from Malia for over a week, he went to the loft that she and Derek shared. Peter answered._

"Is Malia here?" Scott asked.

Peter gave him a blank stare before replying, "She's dead."

Scott felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "Wh-what?"

Peter smirked. "You heard me." He swankily took a few steps backward. "She gave her power to Cora and while she was weak..." He brandished his claws and flashed his blue eyes. "I killed her." Scott's fists clenched at his sides. "I slashed her up into little pieces and then set her on fire." Scott's eyes burned yellow. "I mean... it was only fair. She killed me first-"

"You bastard!" Scott lunged at Peter but was quickly knocked to the side, and onto his back.

Peter growled and stomped a foot onto Scott's chest.

"You should leave. And don't come back here."

" _You need to eat something." Melissa gently coaxed. "I'm worried about you."_

" _She's gone, Mom... she's dead." He finally let himself cry, something he'd been trying his hardest to avoid._

" _I know, sweetie." Melissa told him as she stroked his hair. She too was familiar with losing someone like that, after having lost her first husband, Scott's father, in the line of duty. "And it sucks, and it's terrible...and it's okay to be sad. But, eventually, you'll have to pull yourself out of bed, eat something, and start to move on." She sighed. "You have some friends downstairs, should I send them home?"_

" _Friends?" Scott asked as he turned to his mother._

" _Yeah... Isaac, Erica, and Boyd."_

_When Scott appeared at the top of the stairs, the three wolves stood up._

" _Malia's gone." Erica said._

_Scott nodded. "I know."_

" _We don't have an alpha." Boyd spoke next._

_Scott nodded again. "I know." He repeated as he looked down._

" _So?" Isaac wondered aloud. "Scott, what do we do?"_

_Scott raised his eyes slowly to look at his fellow pack members. They were all waiting for him to give the word._

* * *

_Lydia opened her eyes slowly and winced at the bright sun streaming through her window. A pang in her chest remind her that Aaron had broken up with her the day before._

_Lydia sighed and readjusted her pillow so that it was blocking as much sun as possible. She'd definitely gotten more than a little drunk at her party last night and now her head was killing her._

Lydia was on her third drink of the night when she saw Stiles standing against the wall.

"Stiles!" She called out and awkwardly stumbled over to him.

"Hey, Lyds." He attempted a smile. "You seem a little tipsy already."

"Aaron dumped me, so I'm drinking my feelings." She raised the cup in her hand. "Cheers." Then she took a gulp.

"I'm sorry. Getting dumped sucks."

"So," Lydia smiled, "Whose bed did you wake up in today?"

"My own, thank you very much."

"Uh uh." She smacked her lips together and looked around the room, "So, then I guess the question is who was sneaking out of your house at 7 am?" Stiles's eyes flitted across the room then back to his drink before taking a sip. Lydia looked off the direction he had, and saw one girl in a circle of several guys. "Erica?" Lydia looked back at Stiles. "She's a new one. How was it?" She didn't know why she subjected herself to this torture by asking him questions that she really didn't want to know the answer to.

Stiles shrugged. "It was okay, I guess."

"Just okay?"

Stiles downed the rest of his drink. "I'm going to need another one of these if we're going to have this conversation."

_What had happened to Stiles? She didn't really remember him leaving last night._

_A hand suddenly fell over her torso and she looked down, alarmed. Oh..._ that's  _what happened to him._

"Ugh!" Lydia groaned as she walked into her room, and put the skeleton key on her nightstand. "Can you lock the door back?" She asked Stiles, who'd followed her in. She had kept her door locked to avoid strangers accidentally finding their way into her bedroom.

Stiles did as he was told then heard a sniffle from the other side of the room. Lydia was standing in front of her closet crying.

"Are you okay?" He asked her.

"No." She sobbed. "My boyfriend dumped me, and I just wanted to make out with my best friend to get my mind off it and I get beer poured on me, and now I don't have anything to wear." She cried.

"You are so drunk." He chuckled.

She turned to him and crossed her arms. "You're drunk too."

"Yes I am." He announced proudly.

Lydia pouted and turned back to the closet. "Will you unzip me?" He nodded and strolled over to where she stood, her back to him. He helped her gather her hair and swing it over her shoulder so that it wouldn't get tangled.

Seeing the exposed skin of her neck and shoulder sent his head spinning through the already thick haze of alcohol. His fingers hesitated on the zipper, and Lydia could feel his breath on her neck sending tingles down her spine.

"S-St-Stiles?" She stuttered, hating herself for not being able to say his name normally. Hating that she was being affected this way. But then...what was he stalling for?

"Yeah?" He mumbled, but still made no move for her zipper.

Lydia closed her eyes as she took in the feeling of him standing there, his body heat radiating off of him, and the way that the air in the room had turned thick. She could almost feel his lips on her neck and she was in that oh-so-awful position of wanting more, but not wanting to move too suddenly and break them out of this moment.

She tilted her head the tiniest bit to signal to him that it was okay. That she wanted this.

His right arm snaked around her waist and his lips finally touched the skin of her neck, eliciting a gasp from the strawberry blonde. His left hand began to slowly unzip her dress, and she brought her right hand up to grasp the hand around her waist, letting him know for sure that she wasn't giving off any mixed signals.

This was different. Different than any other make-out session. Even different than the time(s) they had sex. Usually it was one of them (namely her) telling the other one audibly 'let's make out', and maybe their make out session would leave her feeling lightheaded and dizzy. This time though, just being near him put her head into a fog, and there was no reason to say anything. Maybe it was because they were both dealing with break ups. Maybe she just wanted a distraction- God knows Stiles had been looking for distractions left and right. And somewhere inside of her, she knew that's exactly what she was. But right now, she didn't care.

_Lydia laid there waiting for the regret to sink in. Last night was so...heated...so unlike anything they'd ever done before. Did that mean something changed between them? Would they ever be just friends again? Had they just fucked everything up? Lydia winced as as she silently reminded herself 'no pun intended.'_

_Her hand had come up to rest on top of his, and she felt him tug her closer against him. She couldn't stop the smile that immediately flooded her features._

_She decided she was going to roll with whatever happened. At worst, they could play it off as a drunken hook up, and it wasn't like they hadn't had sex before. 'I don't really remember anything anyway,' she practiced in her head._

_She sighed and eventually fell back asleep._

_When she woke up again, she had rolled over so she was facing the other side of the bed...the_ empty _other side of the bed._

_Okay, she took it back. This was definitely the worst. The worst scenario was that he would sneak off and pretend it never happened. He would assume she was too drunk to remember anything and then ignore the fact that they'd hooked up. She'd become just another notch in Stiles Stilinski's post._

_'You were the first notch though,' she silently reminded herself._

" _That's not the point." She whispered quietly, and swallowed the lump in her throat. How could he do this? When did he become this person? How could he-_

" _Oh, hey you're up." She turned her head to her door and saw him standing there, fully dressed aside from his shoes. "I was just getting started on the clean-up process."_

_She let out a breath which turned into a sob and she immediately covered her face with both of her hands out of embarrassment._

" _Whoa, Lyds, are you okay?" He asked softly and came to sit down on the bed next to her._

" _I'm sorry." She told him with a strangled laugh/sob and shook her head. She wiped her eyes as she moved her hands. "I just freaked out for a minute."_

_His face paled, "Why?"_

" _Because I-" She started to tell him confidently, but then second guessed herself and his reaction. "I..."She said again, softly and slowly. "I thought you left."_

_He breathed a sigh of relief, and Lydia was able to release the breath she had been holding. "Why would you think that?"_

" _I don't know." She shrugged. "You tell me." Stiles looked away and Lydia continued. "I mean...I woke up and you weren't here...and you_ were _here..."_

" _Is this your way of saying you want to talk about it?"_

" _I don't know...Is there something to talk about? Because for all I know I-"_

_Stiles put his finger on her lips to silence her. "Lydia...before you go off on a highly compelling argument about how nothing really happened... I don't...regret...what happened."_

" _Really?" Her speech was muffled behind his finger._

_He chuckled as he moved his hand and nodded. "Really."_

" _I don't regret it either. I thought I would." She decided honesty was the best way to go. "I laid here for a really long time just waiting to start hating myself, and it never happened." She took a deep breath as she prepared herself to say the other thing that had been on her mind. "You have to admit...it wasn't like...how it normally is...if that makes any sense."_

_He nodded. "No...I get it. And it's not like we haven't...done_ that _before...it just wasn't as...planned?"_

" _Not that much planning went in to anything else we've done..."_

" _True."_

" _But, I do get what you mean. It was just...sort of...in the moment."_

" _Yeah!"_

_They both went silent for a moment before Lydia finally attempted to say what they both were thinking. "It wasn't...bad."_

" _No..." He shook his head. "No it wasn't." He took a deep breath before saying, "It was actually..._ really _good."_

" _Like..._ really, really  _good." Lydia agreed quickly and nodded._

" _Right?!"_

" _I mean... not that last time was bad, but it was-"_

" _-The first time."_

" _Exactly."_

_They got quiet again. Lydia began picking at her fingernails and Stiles was tapping his hands together._

_Lydia could feel a slight awkwardness as they sat there._

" _I'm still nake-"_

" _I've noticed." He interrupted her with a nod. Lydia bit back a smile. "Okay, here's a thought." He said, apparently having used the silence to work up the nerve to suggest what was coming._

" _Okay..."_

" _We both just recently got out of relationships."_

_Lydia waited a moment to see where he was going with that observation. "True?"_

_He shook his head. "No it's not a true/false thing... it's just a statement..."_

" _Okay then. Are you going to elaborate or...?"_

" _Yeah just...okay...you know how before Allison and Aaron, we would do that thing where we would just like..make out sometimes."_

" _Yes..."_

" _Okay good." He nodded._

" _God, Stiles just say what you're thinking, because I'm having a really hard time following."_

" _I think we should have sex!" He blurted._

_Lydia raised an eyebrow. "But...we did...like...more than once."_

" _I know..." He took a deep breath. "I meant that, neither of us should be in a relationship right now since we both just got out of one, and God...Lydia...that sex was_ really  _good."_

" _We've established how awesome the sex was."_

" _I know! But like.. you don't understand-"_

" _Then make me understand!"_

" _Okay, I've been with different girls since Allison and I broke up, and none of them were worth a second time."_

" _That makes you sound like a man whore."_

" _The point is, I don't know if it's just because there's so much history with us, but I think we should do that again...and again... like..over and over until we die."_

_Lydia thought about that for a moment. "Til death do we part? Are we getting married?"_

" _No?" Stiles didn't quite seem sure of himself either. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "I just think that if we decide that we want to have sex with each other, it shouldn't be weird. And it should feel normal and not like we're doing something wrong."_

" _Are you talking about friends with benefits?"_

" _Yes!"_

" _Why the hell didn't you just_ say that _?!"_

" _I don't know!" He whined as he shook his head, "I just didn't like the way it sounded...I thought it would give the wrong connotation."_

_Lydia was quiet for a moment as she weighed the options. "Okay..." She said slowly, and Stiles perked up._

" _Okay?"_

" _What are the rules?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _I mean...what can or can't we do? Are we allowed to have sex with other people?"_

_Stiles pondered that question for a moment, then thoughtfully and slowly he said "No." Lydia raised an eyebrow and he explained, "The purpose of this agreement is to always have someone to have sex with, so we shouldn't need to have sex with anyone else. But like...if one of us is gets in a relationship, then it stops."_

_Lydia nodded. "Okay, agreed. Follow up question based off of your statement...what if you want sex but I don't?"_

" _What if_ you _want sex and_  I  _don't?"_

_They looked at each other and both laughed. "That would never happen."_

" _Definitely not...but uh..on the off chance that either of us aren't feeling it...we'll just...figure something else out...It doesn't always have to be sex though...it could be kissing...or like...hand holding."_

" _Stiles...the more we talk about this...it sounds like you want to be my boyfriend...but just not call it that."_

_'No...because...there's no going back from boyfriend.." He put his hands together to show her the imaginary line where 'boyfriend' existed. "There's ex-boyfriend" He moved his left hand to one extreme, then moved his right hand to the other. "Or husband." He brought his hands back together. "Friends with benefits...that's safe."_

" _I don't know about_ safe. _" She looked down, then lifted her eyes to look at Stiles. "But...the sex is really good."_

" _It's_ so _good." He agreed._

" _Okay," she smiled. "Friends with benefits." She held her hand out to shake on it._

" _Seriously?" He asked as he slowly raised his hand to meet hers. "We're going to do this?"_

" _Yes, now shake my hand before I change my mind."_

_Stiles quickly grabbed her hand and shook it enthusiastically. Lydia laughed and ran her fingers through her hair._

" _Um..." She bit her lip. "You realize I'm still nake-"_

" _I literally haven't stopped thinking about it this entire time."_

_She giggled, still nibbling on her lip. "You know...we were pretty trashed last night. Maybe it wasn't as good as we're remembering it."_

_He raised an eyebrow. "What are you saying?"_

" _I'm saying...we just entered an exclusive contract...I mean...we_ shook _on it...what if it was all based on a fluke?"_

" _Are you suggesting we test our great sex hypothesis?"_

" _I'm saying, I'm already naked... so..."_

* * *

" _Fuck!" Lydia collapsed on top of Stiles, and both were out of breath. He chuckled as he tucked a piece behind her ear. She let out a breathy laugh, "Not a fluke."_

" _Definitely not a fluke," He agreed. She bit her lip before meeting his lips with hers. They kissed for a few moments, lips moving slowly and sensually, until Lydia suddenly pulled away._

" _We probably shouldn't tell anybody about this."_

" _Oh..God no."_

_They were definitely on the same page._

 


	50. Silver and Cold

Lydia looked down at the address in her hand, then back up at the wooden building in front of her.

  
  


“Is this it?” She heard next to her. Lydia looked over at Kira in the passenger’s seat, then unbuckled with a shrug.

  
  


“I guess so.” She stepped out into the dry Texas heat. The restaurant bar was sort of out in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by stretches of road and empty land on either side.

  
  


“Why couldn’t we tell Stiles and Scott where we were going again?” Kira asked from behind the banshee.

  
  


“Because she told us not to.”

  
  


“Who is _she_? I still don’t know why we came.”

  
  


Lydia opened the door and was met with the strong scent of beer that nearly made her gag.

  
  


“Oh, God… are you going to puke again?” Kira asked worriedly. “Because if you do, I may puke again.”

  
  


“Kira…Please stop saying ‘puke'. It’s not helping.”

  
  


“Sorry.”

  
  


Lydia walked up to the bar and an older woman turned around and looked the two girls up and down. “You need to be 21 to sit at the bar. Can I see your IDs?”

  
  


“We’re not 21.” Lydia told her. “And we don’t want to sit at the bar. We’re looking for Silver.”

  
  


The lady sighed and cocked her head to a table a few feet away. “Have a seat. I’ll be right back.”

  
  


“What’s Silver?” Kira asked quietly, but panicked. “Is that code for drugs? Did we drive to Texas to get drugs?” Her pitch became higher with each question.

  
  


“Kira!” Lydia yelled under her breath. “Calm down.” Kira took a deep breath. “Why would I drive to Texas to get drugs, when we could have just driven downtown?” Lydia smirked when Kira’s eyes widened.

  
  


“Lydia?” A voice said from behind her. Lydia turned around to see the brunette in jeans and a tank top, a small apron wrapped around her waist. The strawberry blonde rose quickly from her chair.

  
  


“Allison!” She mumbled before hugging her tightly. Allison smiled brightly and looked over Lydia’s head to see Kira at the table.

  
  


“Hey, Kira.”

  
  


“Allison? Is it really you?” Kira stepped slowly over to the werewolf.

  
  


Allison shrugged. “It's actually Arian now. I changed my name.” Allison turned back to Lydia. “I’m so glad you called me. You took such a long time, I was worried you weren’t going to.”

  
  


Lydia thought back to the letter she’d received.

 

  
  


_**Lydia,** _

  
  


_**Call this number. Ask for Silver. Please tell no one. Especially not Stiles.** _

  
  


“ _What do you mean you can’t tell me?”_

  
  


“ _It’s literally only one line and it says “tell no one”.” Stiles shook his head. ”I’m sorry.” Lydia apologized. “There’s just nothing to tell.”_

  
  


_He sighed. “Fine.”_

  
  


“ _You’re mad.”_

  
  


“ _Yeah…a little…” He rolled his eyes. They sat in silence for several minutes before he felt her lips on his neck. “Lydia…” He tried to protest, but her lips were slowly making him forget why he was mad in the first place._

  
  


  
  


“Well, it took me a few weeks before I actually read the letter and then, I just didn’t have time to call when nobody was around. Things have been…hectic to say the least.”

  
  


“Hectic? What did I miss?”

  
  


Lydia exchanged looks with Kira. “Just… school stuff.” Lydia said, as Kira did a bad job of hiding her confusion and surprise. “You know…finishing high school and deciding what college to go to.”

  
  


“Really?” Allison asked happily, ignoring Kira’s look, hoping everything would be explained later. “Where are you going to go?”

  
  


Lydia smiled. “Stanford.”

  
  


“Not the East coast?”

  
  


Lydia shook her head. “No, I decided it was better to stay in California.”

  
  


“ _But people are trying to kill you here!” Kira was just a_ tiny _bit concerned._

  
  


“ _What if people are trying to kill us wherever we go?” Lydia posed. “At least here, we’ll have a pack to protect us.”_

  
  


“ _And some sort of guardian angel.” Scott rolled his eyes. “Or angel of death.”_

  
  


_Stiles sighed. “So far it looks like they’ve only gone after the bad guys. If they start going after innocents, that’s when it becomes our problem.”_

  
  


“What about you and Stiles? Are you guys friends again? Are you and Aiden still together?” Allison asked.

  
  


Kira bit her lip and look down to hide a blush.

  
  


Lydia shook her head. “Aiden and I broke up right after you left.”

  
  


“What happened?”

  
  


Lydia sighed. “Stiles showed up drunk at my doorstep and I let him seep on the couch while Aiden and I were in my room…but instead of waking up in my bed next to Aiden, I woke up on the couch next to Stiles." She waved her hand in front her face. "It was because of the stupid sleepwalking stuff," She took a deep breath, "But I sort of lied by omission unintentionally, Aiden got mad, and we broke up.”

  
  


Allison frowned. “I’m sorry.”

  
  


The banshee shrugged. “Don’t be. I’m not. “

  
  


“I can see that.” The brunette smiled. “You look so happy. You’re practically glowing.”

  
  


Kira coughed and cleared her throat. Lydia and Allison both turned to her. “Sorry.” She apologized.

  
  


“Okay…what’s going on? What aren’t you telling me?”

  
  


“What do you mean?” Lydia asked, feigning oblivious.

  
  


“Don’t do that.” Allison sighed. “Look, Lydia, you’re really good at keeping your heartbeat under control. I wouldn’t know that you were lying if Kira’s heart wasn’t practically beating out of her chest.”

  
  


“What?” Kira’s voice when high-pitched. “What are you talking about?”

  
  


Lydia sighed and turned back to Allison. “I’ll tell you later. I promise.”

  
  


“Okay.” Allison nodded after a moment. “Do you guys want something to eat? I still have a few hours left of my shift, and then we can go back to my place.”

  
  


“Do you have hamburgers?” Lydia asked with a hint of excitement.

  
  


Kira smiled nervously. “She _really_ likes hamburgers now.”

  
  


Allison raised an eyebrow in suspicion, but nodded. “Yeah. I’ll get them to make you one. Fries too?”

  
  


“Yes, please!” Her eyes widened in glee.

  
  


Allison laughed and walked away and Lydia turned to give Kira a look.

  
  


“Sorry.” The kitsune apologized again, as she bit her lip in embarrassment.

  
  


* * *

  
  


“Here it is! Home sweet home.” Allison announced as she opened the door to her small apartment.

  
  


“Ari, is that you?”

  
  


“Yeah, I have some friends with me!” Allison called back, then turned to the two girls. “Everyone here knows me as Arian, so...” She looked pointedly at Kira. “Don’t call me Allison.”

  
  


“Hey!” A blonde girl came around the corner with her hair pulled up into a messy bun. “I'm Carys, Ari's roommate.” Her southern, Texas drawl was very evident as she stuck her hand out to shake the new girls' hands.

  
  


“Lydia.” The strawberry blonde shook her hand. “This is Kira.”

  
  


Kira waved.

  
  


“Where's Nic?” Allison asked.

  
  


“He's asleep on the couch. Passed out during the second run-through of _Monster's Inc_.”

  
  


“Thanks.” Allison smiled. “I'm going to take them to my room. If Nic wakes up, just bring him in there.”

  
  


“Will do.” She nodded with a smile.

  
  


“I'm sorry.” Lydia shook her head and squinted at the girl. “You look really familiar. Have we met before?”

  
  


Carys smiled and shook her head. “No, I don't think so.”

  
  


Lydia apologized. “Sorry, my mistake.”

  
  


“Don't sweat it! I guess I just have one of those faces.”

  
  


“Yeah...”

  
  


“Come on.” Allison urged and took them into her room.

  
  


“So, it's just you, Carys, and Dominic?” Kira asked.

  
  


“It's just _Nic_ , now...and yeah. She works the night shift, so she watches him while I'm at work. He pretty much entertains himself, so the only thing she really has to do is make an extra plate of food for him when she makes lunch.”

  
  


Lydia nodded before taking a deep breath. “I have a ton of questions for you-”

  
  


“I have some for you too...and you owe me an explanation for the weirdness back at the bar.”

  
  


Lydia sighed, while Kira remained quiet. “You're right.”

  
  


“ _It's noticeable. Isn't it?”_

  
  


“ _Is what noticeable?” Stiles asked as he continued searching for his tie through the dresser drawers._

  
  


“ _This!” Lydia screeched. He turned to look at her pointing at her practically non-existent belly._

  
  


“ _What are you talking about?”_

  
  


“ _Hello, Stiles! There's a_ baby _in here, and it's graduation day and everyone is going to notice.”_

  
  


“ _Lyds...Sweetie...no one is going to notice anything. You'll be wearing a robe for the entire day.”_

  
  


“ _So you're saying that if I wasn't wearing a robe everyone would think I was fat?! Thanks!”_

  
  


“ _What? No...I didn't say that!” He went to her and grabbed her hands and held them in his. “Look, you are beautiful. Okay? And you're the valedictorian! No one is going to see anything else.”_

  
  


_Her bottom lip began to quiver. “Really?”_

  
  


“ _Oh...don't cry. Please don't cry.”_

  
  


“ _I'm sorry!” She whined before covering her mouth running back into bathroom._

  
  


_Stiles groaned. “God, I hope that mascara is water proof.”_

  
  


_Melissa gave a couple of knocks before opening the door, “Hey!” She smiled. “How we doing in here?”_

  
  


_Stiles sighed. “We're in the middle of the second break-down of the day. And I can't find my tie.”_

  
  


“ _Where's Lydia?”_

  
  


“ _I'm...in...here...” She sobbed from the bathroom._

  
  


_Stiles closed his eyes and took a deep breath before pointing and repeating. “She's in there.”_

  
  


“ _Okay,” Melissa stepped fully into the room. “Stiles, go borrow a tie from your dad. I'll help Lydia.”_

  
  


_Stiles clasped his hands together and mouthed “Thank you.”_

  
  


“ _I...heard...that..”Lydia sniffled._

  
  


_Stiles widened his eyes at Melissa, and she stifled a laugh. “Go.” She whispered._

  
  


“ _Thirty more weeks.” Stiles mumbled before leaving the room._

  
  


“So,” Lydia began as she sat down on the bed next to Allison. “You knew about the sleep-walking.”

  
  


“Of course. You carved a Japanese kanji into my counter.”

  
  


“Right.” Lydia chuckled. “Well, the sleep-walking was accompanied with vivid dreams, but a lot of the time, I couldn't remember the dreams...I just remembered they happened...until one day that I had a dream about Stiles getting shot, and we realized he had a healed bullet wound.”

  
  


“What?” Allison was definitely not expecting that revelation. “When did he get shot?”

  
  


“He doesn't remember....just like...”She sighed and reached into her bag and pulled out a slip of paper. “Just like I don't remember this.”

  
  


_Lydia was laying on Stiles's bed in a tight fitting Tshirt and pajama pants, reading a book with her finger tracing circles on her tummy through the cotton. Stiles looked over from his desk to watch her._

  
  


“ _What are you staring at?” Lydia asked him without looking up from her book._

  
  


“ _You.” He told her simply. He took a few moments, before saying, “I don't want you to take this negatively, but I just noticed that you have the_ tiniest _bit of a belly.”_

  
  


_The banshee smiled, still never moving her eyes away from the page. “I know. I can feel it.” They were quiet for another moment before she tore her eyes away from the book and looked at him, “Do you want to feel?”_

  
  


“ _Really?”_

  
  


_Lydia smiled and nodded. “Yeah...really.”_

  
  


“ _Right now?”_

  
  


“ _You don't have t-”_

  
  


“ _No, I do! I mean...” He began as he stood. “I don't_ have _to, but I_ want _to.”_

  
  


“ _Well, then come here.” She said it almost impatiently, but with a hint of a smile._

  
  


_Stiles sat down on the bed and reached his hand out slowly until was on her stomach._

  
  


“ _You know,” He began. “It's around this time, that if you touch your stomach, the baby will move in response to you, because it's reflexes are starting to develop. You just may not be able to feel them yet.”_

  
  


“ _I did know that.” She told him. “And you've been reading the book.” She giggled._

  
  


“ _Guilty.”_

  
  


“ _I told you that you'd like it.”_

  
  


“You probably knew already.” Lydia told the brunette as she held the ultrasound picture out to her.

  
  


Allison still seemed surprised as she took the sonogram from her. “I thought I was hearing things.” She admitted. “How far along are you?”

  
  


“ _It looks like you're about twelve weeks now.” The ultrasound technician told them as she rubbed the wand and cold gel across Lydia' belly. Both Stiles and Lydia's eyes were glued to the screen._

  
  


“ _It looks like a baby.” Stiles noted._

  
  


“ _That typically happens.” Lydia rolled her eyes and chuckled._

  
  


“ _And it is for sure just one baby, so I hope you weren't expecting more.”_

  
  


“ _Oh no. Definitely not.” Stiles shook his head._

  
  


“ _We weren't even expecting_ one _.” Lydia joked._

  
  


_The tech chuckled. “Well, twelve weeks means that you're at the end of your first trimester, so now is probably a good time to start telling people or...thinking about telling them.”_

  
  


“ _I think everybody knows already.” Stiles said._

  
  


“ _Yeah” Lydia agreed. “It's really hard to keep secrets around our friends. They're too attentive.”_

  
  


“I'm about thirteen weeks now.” She said carefully.

  
  


Allison looked confused for a moment, obviously doing the math in her head. “Wait...thirteen weeks? That means you were pregnant when I left.”

  
  


“Yeah... it looks that way.”

  
  


“But...Aiden was at school...so...who's the-”

  
  


“I don't know,” Lydia said confidently, but then added”...for sure....”

  
  


“What does that mean?”

  
  


Lydia took a deep breath. “Like I said...I don’t really remember, so it’s really just a feeling but-“

  
  


“It’s Stiles…” Allison said without looking up. “Isn’t it?”

  
  


Lydia nodded slowly. “I swear, Allison, we didn’t…I don’t know how-“

  
  


“It’s fine, Lydia.” Allison gave her a small smile. ”Really.”

  
  


“But-“ Lydia began, but was cut off by a knock at the door.

  
  


“Sorry ya’ll,” Carys said as she opened the door. “I don’t mean to interrupt, but I was just thinking about something. Lydia,” she turned to the strawberry blonde. “Have you ever done any research on Jack the Ripper?”

  
  


“What’s Jack the Ripper?” Allison asked.

  
  


“It sounds like the title of a scary movie.” Kira mumbled.

  
  


Lydia closed her eyes as she tried to remember how she knew that name. “He was a serial killer in the 1800s, right?”

  
  


“Yeah!” Carys replied enthusiastically. “Well…my family is kind of famous because of him. He was arrested one night after he attempted to kill a woman named Mary Kelly. If you look him up, you’re bound to find pictures of her. My full name is Carys Kelly. She was a-lotta-greats-grandmother of mine, and people tell me that I look a lot like her.” Carys shrugged. “I just thought maybe that’s why I looked familiar.”

  
  


Lydia nodded. “Yeah, maybe!”

  
  


“Okay, well that’s it. Sorry about intruding again.”

  
  


“She seems nice.” Kira said once Carys was gone.

  
  


“She is.” Allison agreed. “She’s been a life saver since moving out here.”

  
  


“Speaking of which,” Lydia replied. “I need some questions answered now.”

  
  


Allison nodded, “Go ahead.”

  
  


“What happened? Why did you leave?”

  
  


“That's difficult to answer.”

  
  


“Well, I ask the difficult questions.” Lydia fired back. “You left Beacon Hills, you changed your name-”

  
  


“Yeah,” Kira interrupted, “Why did you choose Arian anyway?”

  
  


“It means Silver.” Lydia answer the kitsune. “In Welsh.”

  
  


Allison sighed. “When choosing a new identity, it's better not to change yourself too much, otherwise it gets too difficult to remember. Arian has the same meaning as Argent, and it's similar enough to Allison that it was easy to adapt to.”

  
  


“You still haven't answered my question.” Lydia snapped.

  
  


The brunette turned to the strawberry-blonde, and glanced her up and down. The flowy shirt she was wearing made it impossible to tell if she had a bump yet. “Are you keeping the baby?”

  
  


“Allison-”

  
  


“Answer the question.”

  
  


“Not until you answer mine!”

  
  


Allison bit her lip. “I was approached by a man that said I was in danger.”

  
  


“Why?” Lydia asked before Allison could take a breath.

  
  


“I don't know.”

  
  


“Who was the guy?”

  
  


“No clue.”

  
  


Lydia groaned in frustration. “If you weren't going to tell us anything, why did you ask us to come here?”

  
  


“Because you need to know something.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


“Do you think it's true?” Kira asked Lydia as they got back into her car.

  
  


“I don't know.” Lydia shrugged as she pulled out her phone and called Scott. “But I'm not taking any chances.”

  
  


“Hello?” Scott answered on the third ring.

  
  


“Scott, Kira and I just learned something, and I'm not sure if it's true, but if it is, you need to know.”

  
  


“What is it?” He asked, and edge of worry to his voice.

  
  


Lydia took a deep breath. “Malia's alive.”

 


	51. Flashback 3.2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm really sorry that this took FOREVER to post. I got really busy writing my 25 Days of Stydia Christmas stories, and I'm going to be honest, coming back to this story is really strange. Luckily, this chapter and the next were written for awhile, (I was waiting on my beta to get back to me, and life got busy for her as well), but future chapters may take a bit for me to get back into this world. I'm going to do my best though.

“ _I found another one.” Lydia said as she lifted a red solo cup from off of a shelf._

  
  


“ _Really? You mean that wasn't always there as like a talking piece or something?” Stiles asked from the other side of the room where he held the large trash bag. “Because I could have sworn that area was spotless before.”_

  
  


_Lydia laughed. “No, you missed it.” Lydia made a move to walk toward him, but he stopped her._

  
  


“ _No wait!” He held the bag open in front of him. “Toss it in.”_

  
  


_Lydia rolled her eyes. “Fine.” She took a deep breath then let the cup sail through the air and...bounce off of Stiles's head._

  
  


_Lydia covered her mouth as she failed in an attempt to stifle her laughter._

  
  


“ _Really?” Stiles shook his head as he picked the cup up off the ground and threw it into the bag._

  
  


“ _Sorry.” Lydia smiled as she continued to tidy up her side of the room. “So, uh...” she began after a moment. “How's Scott? You know...since he found out Malia...”_

  
  


_Stiles shook his head. “I haven't seen him. He's been holed up in his room for a few days.” He shrugged. “Then again, maybe that's my fault. I haven't exactly been there.” He thought about that statement and added, “Physically or emotionally.”_

  
  


“ _It can be tough sometimes,” Lydia reasoned. Stiles gave a small shrug and Lydia began to think about the reason that Stiles hadn't been around his brother. And that made her feel nervous. She knew she needed to talk to him. She'd never really_ **had** _to have this talk with anyone. And he was her best friend...which actually made it more awkward._

  
  


“ _Lydia?”_

  
  


“ _Hm?” She looked up and met his eyes, as he stared at her._

  
  


“ _You look like you're panicking. What's wrong?”_

  
  


“ _Nothing,” she told him unconvincingly._

  
  


“ _Lydia...”_

  
  


“ _Um...okay.” She covered her face as she winced. “This is an awkward conversation to have...but it's one that needs to happen.”_

  
  


“ _Even more awkward than the 'do you want to be friends with benefits' conversation we had a couple of hours ago?” Lydia gave him a glare, and he straightened up. “Oh...okay? What is it?”_

  
  


“ _How...” she started, before biting her lip and shaking her head. “How many...girls...would you say that you...had....you know....”_

  
  


“ _Oh...um...well... I guess that really depends on what it is that you want to know...”_

  
  


“ _How many were you...” she cringed at the word, “intimate...with.”_

  
  


“ _Again....it depends on your connotation of the word intima-”_

  
  


“ _How many did you stick your dick inside of?!” she blurted before blushing and covering her face again. “I mean... for me...” she began while her face was still covered, but slowly lowered her hands, “It's only two... you and Aaron.” She took a deep breath. “So... how many is it for you?”_

  
  


“ _Uh...” he began, and made a face as he was calculating in his head. “A few more than that...”_

  
  


“ _How many more though?”_

  
  


“ _Why do you want to know?”_

  
  


“ _I just want to know how many came before me....and_ **after** _me.”_

  
  


“ _Oh. Don't worry. They_ **all** _came.”_

  
  


“ _Oh God!” She wasn't sure if she wanted to cover her face or her ears. Mainly she just wanted to dig a giant hole and bury herself in it. “Stiles, just answer the question.”_

  
  


_He sighed. “I don't know....five....six maybe?”_

  
  


_She released a breath she was holding in. Okay...that wasn't as bad of a number as she was building up in her head, but still...”I think you should get tested.”_

  
  


“ _To see if I'm a genius?” he offered with a sarcastic smirk._

  
  


“ _No,_ **Genius** _to see if you have any diseases that you could pass on to me.”_

  
  


“ _I always use a condom, Lydia,” he tried to reassure her._

  
  


“ _That's great. As you should. I would still feel more comfortable if you got tested.”_

  
  


“ _Well, if I have to do it...then I think you should do it too.”_

  
  


“ _Fine. I will.”_

  
  


“ _Fine.”_

  
  


“ _Good.” Lydia watched as his tongue quickly darted over his bottom lip, and for a moment all she wanted was to have his lips on hers, until she remembered the conversation they were just having. “And I don't think we should have sex again until we get the results.”_

  
  


“ _Then let's go right now.” He said quickly, dropping his trash bag and grabbing her wrist taking large strides toward the door and Lydia had to practically run to keep up with him._

  
  


_She couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled up due to his eagerness. “You do realize that it'll still take a few days to get results, right?”_

  
  


“ _Well, the sooner we do the tests, the sooner we find out.”_

  
  


 

* * *

 

  
  


“ _Why did you guys come to me?” Scott asked his friends as they sat in the living room. “Why didn't you go to Derek? He probably knows more about the werewolf stuff than me.”_

  
  


“ _Because Malia trusted_ you _.” Erica told him._

  
  


“ _You were always her second.” Boyd added._

  
  


“ _Plus, “Isaac began. “You're a lot nicer than Derek.”_

  
  


_Scott shook his head as he held back a laugh._

  
  


“ _Scott?” his mom said, as she peeked her head around the corner. “Dad called.” She held her phone out and Scott walked over to grab it from her._

  
  


“ _Hello?”_

  
  


“ _Hey...so...I know you've been a little under the weather recently, but I think you should know...we just got a call about another body. It's the same as the kid that Lydia found a while back. I know that somebody else should know, I just don't know who to tell...so I'm telling you.”_

  
  


_Scott looked back at his friends...his pack._

  
  


“ _Thanks, Dad. I'll take care of it.” He stood up straighter and the other three looked back him._

  
  


“ _Another body?” Boyd asked having overheard the conversation._

  
  


“ _But,” Erica started, “I thought that the alpha pack left town.”_

  
  


“ _I thought they did too,” Scott told them. “At least that's what-” he stopped short and took a slow, deep breath. “That's what Malia said..”_

  
  


“ _So, what do we do?” Isaac asked._

  
  


_Scott shrugged. “I guess we go check out a body.”_


	52. Truths and Texas

Lydia and Kira were sat in the McCall-Stilinski living room. Stiles stood off to the side with his arms folded as Scott paced back and forth. The alpha hadn’t said anything to the two girls. He would stop, open his mouth, close it, continue pacing... then stop and open his mouth again a few moments later. Lydia was having a difficult time avoiding Stiles’s amused face as he watched his brother, and the sight had her biting back a laugh.

 

“I-“ Scott started, but quickly stopped, and Stiles threw his hand over his mouth to stop the laugh that was threatening to bubble up inside of him.

 

“Scott,” Lydia finally began. “What do you want to know?”

 

“Everything!” he blurted. “I want to know what possessed you to leave town without telling anyone-“

 

“I told Kira,” Lydia inserted.

 

Scott turned to Stiles as he continued his angry tirade. “I want to know why you’re not pissed at them-“

 

Stiles shrugged. “She doesn’t owe me any explanations.”

 

He wasn't hearing any of their answers as he kept going, “I want to know how you know that Malia’s alive…did you see her-“

 

“No.”

 

“-did someone tell you-“

 

“Yes.”

 

“-and if someone told you, who was it-“

 

“It was Allison.”

 

“-and how do you know that you can trust them-“

 

“I don’t know if we can.”

 

“-and then I want to know-“ Scott finally stopped his long string of questions and looked at the two girls, then to Stiles... who was suddenly not laughing anymore. “Wait...what did you say?”

 

Kira looked down at her hands, while Lydia stood up and looked directly at Stiles. “My letter from Allison was a phone number. I called her back last week and she asked me to meet her where she works…in Texas. That’s where Kira and I were.”

 

“Did she tell you why she left?” Stiles thought that he'd asked it, but when he saw Lydia turn to Scott, he realized no words had left his mouth.

 

Lydia shook her head. “No. She said she couldn’t, but she told us that Malia was alive. She wouldn’t tell us how she knew or  _why_ she decided to tell us, she just said that Malia wasn’t an alpha anymore.”

 

“Well we knew that-“ Scott said, but Stiles cut him off.

 

“Did we? You heard that from Peter who also told you he killed her. And obviously that wasn’t true.”

 

“And as you keep reminding us,” Lydia said with a sigh, “Peter can’t be trusted.”

 

Scott clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking in the process.

 

“Hey, buddy...” Stiles said slowly, his eyes on his brother’s hand. “Maybe we need to take a beat-” Scott walked quickly toward the door, but Stiles caught up with him and put a hand on his shoulder. “Scott!” Scott stopped and took a breath. “Where are you going?” Stiles asked him.

 

“I'm going to go find Peter, and I'm going to make him tell me the truth.”

 

“Let's think about this, you don't even know where Peter lives...” Stiles voice trailed off as he noticed the guilty look on the alpha's face. “You do know... because you followed him. After we said we wouldn't.”

 

“Stiles, what do you expect? I've got a town of people to protect-”

 

“Yeah, people that may possibly be trying to kill me and my girlfriend!”

 

“I didn't do anything,” Scott told him. “I followed him, I didn't even go inside, and nobody came in or out except for him. Nothing happened.”

 

Stiles shook his head, and Lydia spoke up, “So you were getting mad at me and Kira, but you didn't tell anyone you were going to follow Peter?”

 

Scott shrugged. “I told Liam and Isaac.”

 

“Let me guess, they were with you.” Stiles rolled his eyes. “And where were we?”

 

Scott looked like he was a little child getting in trouble with his parents. “You had a doctor's appointment.”

 

“Are you serious?!” Lydia practically screeched. “I'm making sure my child is healthy and you're off endangering all of us?!”

 

“If I thought it would put you in danger I wouldn't have done it.”

 

“But you didn't tell us you did it either!” Stiles snapped angrily.

 

Lydia turned to Stiles, “So what are you keeping from us?”

 

“What?”

 

“Kira and I went off to Texas, Scott is spying on former alphas who are trying to protect us-”

 

“So he says.” Scott injected quickly.

 

“So, what's your big secret that you've been hiding? We may as well get it all out in the open.”

 

“I'm not keeping anything from anybody! You know everything I know.”

 

“Bullshit!” Lydia quickly countered. “Scott was right, before...you didn't get mad about us not telling you about Allison and Texas. Which means, you must be keeping a secret and knew that you had no room to judge. So what is it?”

 

“I...” Stiles sighed. “It's nothing like what you're thinking...it's supposed to be a surprise.”

 

Lydia's expression softened. “A surprise?”

 

“I mean... I guess now is as good of a time as any.” He reached for his phone and pulled up a picture of a house and handed it to Lydia.

 

“What is this?”

 

“It turns out my...Claudia....did something right. My dad didn't even know it existed, and I didn't find out until about two weeks ago...”

 

“Stiles!” Lydia cut him off as she looked back down at the picture in her hand trying to clear her thoughts. “What the hell am I looking at?”

 

“It's a house-”

 

“I got that.”

 

“It's my house.... _our_  house.”

 

“What?” she asked barely above a whisper as tears filled her eyes, and she looked back at the cute house pictured in front of her.

 

“I got a letter a couple of weeks ago about contacting somebody about this house. I asked my dad and he didn't know, but we went to the bank and spoke to somebody there who said that when I turned 18, the house officially fell into my name. Dad doesn't know when she bought it, it must have been after she left us. While you guys were in Texas, I went to look at it to see if it was even worth keeping, and God...Lydia...it's perfect. It's between Stanford and USF, but it's closer to Stanford. It's in a nice neighborhood, and it looks like a lot of families live there. It's got 3 bedrooms, so the baby can have their own room and we can have a guest room, or a roommate, or roommates if we find a couple... or we can sleep in separate rooms if that would make you feel bette-” Lydia stopped him from rambling by kissing him.

 

“I love you,” she told him as she broke the kiss, and he rested his forehead on hers... neither of them opening their eyes, both just savoring the moment.

 

“I love you, too.”

 

Stiles and Lydia were broken out of their embrace when they heard Scott's motorcycle. Stiles looked around before realizing his brother had sneaked out the door while they were distracted.

 

“Sonofabitch!”

 

“Should we follow him?” Lydia asked quietly.

 

Stiles sighed. “No...but I  _am_  going to kill him.” He looked back at Lydia, realizing she was still holding his phone and had gone back to staring at the picture of the house. He lightly nudged her arm with his. “Did you want to go look at it?”

 

“Really?” she asked, her eyes lighting up.

 

“Well, it's either that or chase after Scott, and I'm not really in the chasing mood right now.” He looked over Lydia's head to see the kitsune still standing there. “Uh, Kira...did you want to...”

 

“Oh! Um...” She looked around awkwardly. If Stiles and Lydia left, she would be alone in a house that wasn't hers, but seeing as how her boyfriend had just run off to talk to Peter about his dead former girlfriend, who was now his former dead former girlfriend...”I think I'm just going to go home.”

 

“Are you sure?” Lydia asked her. “Stiles and I won't mind if you come with us.” She suddenly had an idea and looked back at Stiles before turning back to Kira. “If there are three bedrooms...you're going to USF just like Stiles, and Scott's going to be like two hours away at UC Davis...”

 

“Kira,” Stiles confirmed what Lydia was suggesting. “If you want the third bedroom, you'd be a great roommate.”

 

Kira smiled brightly. “Really?! Okay! Then...yeah... I'll go with you to check it out!”

 

Lydia gave Stiles's hand a small squeeze in gratitude. “Let me just pee first.”

 

“Texas, huh?” Stiles asked Kira once Lydia was gone.

 

“Yeah...Are you okay?”

 

“Yeah,” Stiles shrugged. “Why wouldn't I be?”

 

“You just...didn't say anything when we were talking about Allison.”

 

He shook his head. “There's nothing to talk about. I'm just glad everybody's okay.”

 

“Ready!” Lydia said in a sing-song voice as she came back into the room. “Let's go!”

 


	53. Flashback 3.3

“ _Dad!” Scott called to the sheriff as he approached the scene... Erica, Isaac, and Boyd close behind him._

  
  


“ _Scott? You came.”_

  
  


_The wolf gave the sheriff a small shrug. “Nobody else was going to. I brought backup.” Scott motioned to the members of his pack, but Stilinski was looking over Scott's head._

  
  


“ _I can see that,” he said with a nod. “Is that your boss?”_

  
  


_Scott turned to see Deaton walking toward them with a small kit, then turned back to his dad and nodded. “Yeah. I called him. He's familiar with this kind of thing. I thought he could help us.”_

  
  


“ _I see....” Stilinski said slowly as Deaton approached the small group. “Deaton, good to see you.” The sheriff tilted his head. “This way, fellas.” Erica cleared her throat. “Oh and um..ladies.”_

  
  


_Isaac scoffed. “Well that's a bit of a stretch.”_

  
  


_Erica glared and let out a low growl._

  
  


“ _Guys!” Scott raised his voice and Erica and Isaac quickly backed down. The sheriff said nothing after the exchange. He just walked away and the group followed him._

  
  


* * *

  
  


_Lydia gasped suddenly and sat straight up in her bed._

  
  


“ _You okay?” she heard Stiles mumble next to her. They'd fallen asleep watching a scary movie, but now it seemed that movie was the cause of her waking up._

  
  


“ _Sorry...just a nightmare,” she told him and settled back onto the bed, an uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach._

  
  


_She felt him roll over next to her and an arm came around her and pulled her close. “Do you want to talk about it?” he whispered._

  
  


_Lydia shook her head 'no' and bit her lip. She hadn't even realized she was crying until a sob suddenly escaped her chest._

  
  


“ _Hey,” Stiles said gently as he sat up, reaching over her to turn her bedside lamp on. Lydia sat up again, pulling her knees close to her body. “What's going on?” he asked, concerned, as he rubbed her back soothingly._

  
  


“ _I...” she tried, taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself. “I had a dream that someone was dying.” She sniffled and swallowed before continuing, “But I don't think it was a dream.”_

  
  


_Lydia looked back at Stiles before laying her head on his shoulder._

  
  


“ _It was just a nightmare,” he whispered and kissed the top of her forehead. They didn't move for several minutes and Stiles was beginning to feel his eyelids grow heavy again. “I should probably get home.”_

  
  


“ _No,” Lydia lifted her head to look at him. Her lips formed words, but she said nothing. Until finally...”Stay.” Stiles was gazing so softly at her, and she wondered if she looked as vulnerable as she felt. “I....I just...”_ I need you. I don't want to be alone. I want you to hold me and not let me go. _Those were the things she wanted to say to him. Those were the things she kept inside. “Just...stay.”_

  
  


_Stiles nodded gently. “I won't go anywhere.”_

  
  


“ _Thank you,” Lydia said so softly that Stiles wasn't sure if the words had actually been voiced or if she'd just mouthed them._

  
  


_They laid back down on their sides, never looking away from each other, as a heavy tension settled between the two of them._

  
  


_Stiles finally cracked a smile, “I wish I could change into some other clothes.”_

  
  


“ _Maybe you should bring clothes with you to leave here,” she suggested._

  
  


“ _And you could bring clothes to leave at my house.”_

  
  


_Lydia nodded. “I'd like that.”_

  
  


_Stiles realized suddenly that he had been playing with her hands, and he wasn't sure how long that had been happening. He glanced from their hands to her lips and saw her teeth come out to pull her lower lip back into her mouth._

  
  


_Lydia grabbed his hand with hers and rolled over to face away from him, pulling his arm around her. She heard him laugh through his nose behind her as she snuggled back into him._

  
  


_He looked toward the lamp that was still on and thought momentarily about reaching up to turn it off, but he was just so comfortable. His eyes scanned the bedside table and caught sight of a picture of the two of them. It was the one he'd forced her to take after she'd drunkenly taken her Santa hat off and plopped it onto his head. He had seen it earlier but never mentioned it._ “ _You framed the picture,” he said after a couple of seconds._

  
  


“ _And put it on my bedside table. That was the deal...was it not?”_

  
  


_'No, it was. It just..." He paused, not sure if he should say what he was thinking, but then decided to go for it. "It makes me happy.”_

  
  


_Lydia felt herself smile as she stared at the picture. “It makes me happy too.”_

  
  


* * *

  
  


_Scott was standing at the kitchen counter. His hands were on either side of his head, as he stared down at his phone. It had been a long night, and he'd barely slept a wink. Deaton was supposed to be getting back to him, and Scott had nothing better to do... so he was waiting._

  
  


_The front door opened and Scott looked up. Stiles stepped through, laughing at something Lydia had said as the strawberry blonde followed him inside. Stiles finally made eye contact with Scott and the two stared at each other for a moment._

  
  


“ _Hey,” Stiles finally broke the silence._

  
  


“ _Hey,” Scott replied hesitantly._

  
  


“ _Hey, Scott,” Lydia whispered after a moment, sensing the tension between the brothers._

  
  


“ _Lydia...” Scott finally turned to her. He realized this was the first time she'd voluntarily spoken to him to since the full moon made him crazy and he'd kissed her and...well he didn't really want to think about that. “How are you?” Scott asked her._

  
  


” _I'm okay.” She smiled softly. “Aaron and I broke up.”_

  
  


“ _I'm sorry.”_

  
  


“ _It's fine,” she told him with a shrug._

  
  


_Scott's phone began to ring and he picked up quickly, “Hello?” Stiles and and Lydia began to walk away, when they heard Scott say, “Dad? Another one?” They stopped in their tracks and exchanged glances with each other. “Yeah, I'll meet you there.”_

  
  


“ _What's going on?” Stiles asked as Scott hung up._

  
  


“ _A body...they found one yesterday and it looks like they found another one today.”_

  
  


“ _Can we come?” Lydia asked. Scott raised his eyebrow, shocked. “It's just... I had a dream last night that somebody died....and I need to know that it was just a dream.”_

  
  


“ _Uh...yeah? I guess. I don't see why not.”_

  
  


“ _We can take the jeep,” Stiles suggested._

  
  


* * *

  
  


“ _Scott!” the sheriff called as he saw the beta walking toward him, then he paused. “Stiles? Lydia? What are you two doing here?”_

  
  


“ _Hey, Dad...” Stiles began. “We just...” Stiles trailed off as Lydia walked straight past the sheriff." Uh..."_

  
  


“ _Wait, Lydia,” Noah turned around. “Where are you going?”_

  
  


“ _It was a girl wasn't it?” Lydia asked as she turned back to the sheriff. “Brown hair?”_

  
  


_The sheriff nodded slowly. “Yeah...how'd you know?”_

  
  


_Lydia sniffled and covered her mouth, as she looked at Stiles, giving him a small nod._

  
  


“ _Lyds,” he said her name softly and she walked back over to him and fell into his embrace, sobbing into his chest as he pet her hair. “Shhh...”_

  
  


_Stilinski seemed rather confused, as he looked back and forth between his sons, before Scott tilted his head away from the scene._

  
  


“ _What's going on?” his dad asked, once they were out of earshot._

  
  


“ _She had a dream that someone died...she was hoping it wasn't real.”_

  
  


“ _So, what? Is she like...psychic?”_

  
  


_Scott shrugged. “I don't know. I don't think_ she _knows.”_

  
  


_Stilinski nodded. “Okay..well,” he looked back up at Stiles and Lydia and saw they weren't moving. “Follow me.” The sheriff led Scott under the crime scene tape and over to the body that was slumped against the tree._

  
  


“ _Jesus,” Scott cringed and turned away._

  
  


“ _Deaton still doesn't know what's causing it?”_

  
  


_Scott shook his head. “No...at least, if he does, he's not telling me.” Scott finally turned back to look at the girl._

  
  


“ _Are we sure it's not just a deranged serial killer?”_

  
  


_Stilinski and Scott turned around to see Stiles had made his way over._

  
  


“ _How'd you get past-” the sheriff began, but stopped and shook his head. “Never mind.” He took a deep breath and continued, “I don't know. It's possible...but... with all of the new information I've been enlightened with, I'm second guessing_ _everything. Who knows though...maybe it was a regular... albeit, psychopathic... human.”_

  
  


“ _Do you know her name?” Scott asked his dad._

  
  


“ _Emily...uh...Is Lydia okay?”_

  
  


_Stiles looked back at the strawberry blonde who was hugging herself as she leaned against the jeep._

  
  


“ _No,” Stiles shook his head and turned back to face his father. “She's freaked. I should probably get her out of here. Is there anything we can do?”_

  
  


“ _Well..Emily wasn't alone. There was another girl, Caitlyn. She said she saw a giant lizard, but then she also admitted to splitting a tab of X with her girlfriend, so she may have just been hallucinating. But...if you want to check into her giant lizard story...I sent her to the hospital.”_

  
  


_Stiles nodded then turned back to his brother. “Are you good? Do you need a ride somewhere?”_

  
  


_Scott shook his head. “I'm going to sniff around here a bit, then maybe head over to Deaton's... see where he's at...if he needs my help.”_

  
  


“ _Okay...let me know if either of you need me.”_

  
  


“ _We will,” the sheriff promised._

 

* * *

  
  


_As Stiles approached Lydia again, he took a deep breath. “I'm going to go to the hospital.”_

  
  


“ _What? Why?” Lydia asked, mostly in confusion._

  
  


_He sighed. “The girl...Emily? She had her girlfriend, Caitlyn, with her when she was attacked.”_

  
  


“ _You mean...she wasn't alone?”_

  
  


“ _It looks that way.” Stiles looked down at Lydia's hands and saw the way she was nervously wringing them together. He stopped himself from reaching out to grab them and continued, “I'll just take you home-”_

  
  


“ _No.” Lydia shook her head vehemently. “I'm coming with you.”_

  
  


_Stiles stared for a moment before nodding. “Alright. Get in.”_

  
  


 


	54. Kitchens and Magic

“I almost didn't see it the first time,” Stiles admitted as he pulled into the driveway. “It was like my eyes just skimmed right over it.”

 

“No...I see what you mean.” Lydia didn't need for him to explain.

 

“It looks like someone's been keeping up with the yard,” Kira said as she surveyed the land in front of her.

 

“Yeah,” Stiles said thoughtfully. “I noticed that too.”

 

The three of them got out of the jeep and walked toward the front door. Lydia turned around to look at the yards across the street with kids playing on the front lawns, and her hand went to her stomach as she imagined her own child playing on this lawn.

 

“Lyds,” she heard Stiles say her name, and she turned to see the front door open. “Come on.” He tilted his head toward the door and Lydia smiled before following him inside. “So, this is the living room, obviously,” Stiles pointed out to the two girls. “The master bedroom and what would probably be the nursery are down that hall, and then Kira, your room would be on the other side of the house.”

 

“I'll go take a look,” Kira smiled before heading off in the direction Stiles had pointed her.

 

“Come on,” he told Lydia as he led her the opposite direction. “So, this is our room.” He opened the door to reveal the master bedroom and Lydia looked around. “And then, this...” he walked across the hall and opened the other door. “This would be the baby's room.” Lydia felt tears welling up in her eyes as everything suddenly became more real. “I was thinking..” Stiles continued, “the crib could go here, and then we could have a rocking chair here, and then- Lyds...are you okay?”

 

Lydia sniffed and nodded. “Sorry...hormones. It's perfect, Stiles.”

 

He smiled and kissed her gently, before they heard Kira gasp, “Oh my God! This kitchen is amazing!”

 

Stiles pulled away and chuckled, “Let's go see the kitchen.”

 

“Sounds good.” Lydia followed him back down the hall and toward Kira's voice.

 

“Wow!” Lydia said in surprise as she looked around the room. “Did you already do some work in here?”

 

“What? No,” Stiles replied with a hint of confusion. “I just saw it for the first time two days ago. I wanted to make sure it was what you wanted to do before I put any work into it. Why?”

 

“It's just...” Lydia looked around. “The appliances are all updated.”

 

“They are?” Stiles looked around.

 

“Yeah, this refrigerator is brand new. The model just came out a couple of months ago.”

 

Stiles raised an eyebrow. “Are you reading appliance catalogs now?”

 

Lydia sighed, “I went down a rabbit hole. I'm not proud of it.” Stiles chuckled and Lydia bit her lip. “It's weird though...right? I mean... new appliances in a house that you didn't know was yours. Who knows how long it's been empty for.”

 

“Maybe there was somebody in charge of keeping up with it. Maybe it's whoever has been doing the yardwork?”

 

“Maybe...” Lydia replied, unconvinced.

 

Stiles sighed. “Do you think it's a trap of some sort?”

 

Lydia shrugged. “I don't know what to think. The timing could seem a little too perfect, if you think about it... or maybe it's just all a coincidence.”

 

“I've never liked coincidences.”

 

Lydia took a deep breath. “I want to live here, Stiles. This place is perfect, and I can see us living here for longer than just college. I can see us raising our family here. I just... I think we need to do some more research before moving everything in.”

 

“Okay,” Stiles nodded, “But remember, school starts in August. We can't move into the dorms together because we aren't going to the same school, so finding somewhere that we can commute from is our only option. And everything else I've looked at is way out of our price range. Since collectively our price range is zero dollars.”

 

“I know...I get it...” she let out a sigh, “I don't know...maybe if Deaton comes by he can tell us if there's anything supernatural about the house.”

 

“Okay,” Stiles nodded.

 

“Except,” Kira began absentmindedly, “the people who were trying to kill you weren't supernatural.” The kitsune glanced up and saw the looks Stiles and Lydia were giving her. “I uh...I probably shouldn't have said that out loud... huh?”

 

* * *

 

“Well, well, well,” Stiles began as he walked inside his house and saw Scott sitting on the couch. “Look who's home.”

 

“Where have you guys been?” Scott asked.

 

“Uh, I think we could ask you the same question,” Lydia cut in.

 

Scott looked confused for a moment. “I've been here.”

 

“Okay, Scott. Don't lie.” Stiles rolled his eyes. “We know you left. It wasn't like you were trying to hide it.”

 

“I don't know what you're talking about. I've been here the whole time.”

 

“No,” Stiles argued, exasperated, “you haven't. I don't know what you're trying to prove. We know you left. We all heard you drive away.”

 

“I didn't go anywhere,” Scott insisted.

 

Stiles gritted his teeth in frustration, then opened his mouth to yell, but Lydia spoke instead.

 

“Scott,” she said slowly. “What's the last thing you remember of our conversation?”

 

“What conversation?”

 

“The one we were having earlier, before you  _didn't_  go anywhere.”

 

Scott shook his head. “We never had a conversation. I've been waiting here all day for you guys to get home and tell me what's going on with this whole Malia thing.”

 

Stiles, Kira, and Lydia all exchanged glances for a moment before Stiles finally said, “Okay, I think now's the time to call Deaton.”

 

* * *

 

“So, you think I went to see Peter again?” Scott asked as he sat on the exam table.

 

His three friends nodded, before Deaton spoke up.

 

“So, if it was some sort of head injury, it's already healed...and then if it's healed, I would think your memories would have returned.”

 

“So, then what do you think caused it?” Stiles asked the question they all wanted to.

 

“My best guess?” Deaton asked with a small shake of his head. “Magic.”

 

“ _Magic_ _,”_ Stiles repeated.

 

Deaton nodded. “And very powerful magic at that, if it's strong enough to erase 5 hours of Scott's memory.”

 

“But it should stop at the five hours, right?” Scott wondered aloud. “I mean... I'm not going to forget anything else...right? Wait...what if that's what happened to you guys!” Scott turned to Stiles and Lydia. “What if you had some sort of magic spell put on you and it slowly ate away at your memories until you forgot everything?”

 

“I don't know...” Lydia shook her head slowly.

 

“What?” Stiles asked as he turned to his girlfriend. “You don't believe in magic?”

 

“No...it's not that...it's just... I remember _some_ stuff. It's not like I've forgotten it all.”

 

“You remember,” Stiles agreed, “But I don't.”

 

“Maybe there's two different reasons why we can't remember anything,” Lydia suggested. “Maybe you two had a spell put on you, and maybe I'm the one who hit my head.”

 

“Or,” Kira spoke up, “Maybe you all had spells put on you, but Lydia did something to trigger her memories.”

 

“But we haven't done anything different.” Stiles shook his head. “I mean the only thing that's different is that Lydia's...” Stiles slowly turned to look at Lydia. “...pregnant.”

 

“What? You think I'm remembering things because I'm pregnant? I've heard of pregnancy brain messing with your memory, but it's supposed to make you forget things...not remember them.”

 

“Okay fine.” Stiles threw his hands up. “Maybe magic has nothing to do with anything. Deaton, we need to come up with another solution.”

 

“I've told you what I think caused Scott's memory loss,” Deaton shrugged.

 

“Well, then what do you think caused ours?” Lydia asked softly.

 

Deaton turned to look at the banshee as she rubbed a thumb across her belly.

 

He shook his head gently. “I'm sorry, Lydia. I don't know. But, I don't think it has anything to do with what caused Scott's.”

 

Lydia nodded and bit her lip, and Stiles looked over at her. “Lyds?”

 

“I'm sorry,” she mumbled before walking briskly out of the room.

 

Stiles looked back at the remaining people in the room. “She's been a little emotional lately.”

 

“You don't say!” Scott quipped sarcastically.

 

Stiles shot him a middle finger before walking out of the room to find Lydia.

 

* * *

 

“Hey,” he said softly when he found her in the bathroom, the door open.

 

“Hey,” she whispered back as she sniffled. “God...I hate crying. I feel like it makes me look weak.”

 

“Hey! Crying doesn't make you weak. You're a badass banshee, Lydia Martin.” Stiles sighed. “And you're pregnant. Which makes you even more of a badass.”

 

Lydia let out a small laugh, and looked up at Stiles's reflection in the mirror. “I love you.”

 

“I love you too.” Lydia suddenly got a look on her face, like she was trying to figure something out. “What?” Stiles asked.

 

“Banshee...” she whispered.

 

“Wait...what?”

 

“The first person to call me a banshee, was Argent's uncle. Do you remember?” She turned to face him.

 

Stiles nodded slowly as he remembered the interaction. “Yeah...I remember he also called us ghosts and accused us of kidnapping him and blowing up his truck.”

 

She nodded. “Right...what if we did?”

 

“Um...” Stiles scratched his head. “What?”

 

“I think we need to talk to him.”

 

“Okay....yeah...sure...whatever you say...but um...one thing... he had Alzheimer's two years ago, and he wasn't all there then...what makes you think we'll be able to get anything out of him now?”

 

“I don't know. We may get nothing, but we won't know unless we try.”

 


	55. Flashback 3.4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you guys haven't forgotten about this story...it's been awhile since I updated...

_Neither of them said much when they first left the crime scene._

  
  


_Stiles just kept wanting to ask her if she was okay and if she really wanted to go with him. He knew he shouldn't though. She'd already answered both of those questions, and Lydia wasn't one to change her mind on a whim. If anything, asking her would just piss her off._

  
  


_Lydia was the first one to break the silence. “I'm going to take some classes at the community college over the summer.”_

  
  


“ _You are?” Stiles asked, glancing at her a moment before looking back to the road._

  
  


“ _Yeah. I thought maybe I could graduate early if I have enough credits.”_

  
  


_'Oh....when do your classes start?”_

  
  


“ _Next week.” She looked over at him and smiled for the first time since learning about the body. “Don't act so depressed, Stilinski! There's only two and they're first thing in the morning. I'll be done by noon everyday. You probably won't even be awake. You won't even realize I'm gone.”_

  
  


_Stiles felt the corners of his mouth upturn. “You say that like I'll know where you are the night before.”_

  
  


_Lydia felt a blush creep into her cheeks before deciding to roll with it. “I'm just saying, I feel like these classes could be stressful...and you know what a great stress reliever is? Sex....That's what this arrangement is for. Is it not?”_

  
  


_Stiles bit his tongue and nodded slowly. “Yes. You're absolutely right.”_

  
  


_The smile and flirtatious attitude from Lydia evaporated the moment they pulled into the hospital parking lot._

  
  


“ _Lydia...” Stiles said her name slowly._

  
  


“ _Let's do this.”_

  
  


* * *

  
  


  
  


“ _I'm here to see my mom,” Stiles told the nurse at the desk when they walked in. He figured if he could find her, Melissa could get them access to the patient._

  
  


“ _Stiles?” Stiles heard his name, and looked over at the girl in the wheelchair._

  
  


“ _Caitlyn?” Stiles questioned, before everything clicked. “Oh my God! You were in the woods...are you okay?”_

  
  


“ _I guess I'm as okay as can be expected,” she shrugged._

  
  


“ _Sorry, we need to get you back in bed,” the nurse pushing her wheelchair interrupted._

  
  


“ _You can come in,” Caitlyn told Stiles as she motioned her hand to follow them. Stiles looked at Lydia as Caitlyn disappeared into her room. They were both slightly surprised at how easy that had been._

  
  


“ _Uh,” Stiles began as he turned back to the nurse. “Don't worry about finding my mom. I'll catch up with her later.” He tilted his head toward Caitlyn's room and Lydia nodded as the two of them began to walk that way._

  
  


_The nurse was walking out as the two of them were walking in._

  
  


“ _So, what were you doing in a wheelchair...are you okay?”_

  
  


“ _I was getting a CT Scan. It's just standard procedure.”_

  
  


“ _A CT Scan?” Lydia asked. “Did you hit your head?”_

  
  


_Caitlyn shrugged. “They think I may have. I...I told the police that I saw a giant lizard.”_

  
  


“ _Did you?” Stiles asked, then clarified. “Um...I mean...did you see a lizard?”_

  
  


_Caitlyn sighed. “That's what it looked like. I don't know...we split a tab of X. Maybe I was hallucinating...or maybe it was a mask.” Caitlyn got a faraway look in her eye, and bit her lip. “I walked away for 5 seconds. When I came back, I felt something hit the back of my neck and all of a sudden, I couldn't move.”_

  
  


“ _Like...out of fear?” Lydia asked._

  
  


“ _No, like I'd been paralyzed. I fell to the ground and that's when I saw this lizard thing dragging Emily off.”_

  
  


“ _Was she...already...”Stiles didn't know how to ask._

  
  


“ _You mean was she already dead?” Stiles nodded, and Caitlyn shook her head. “No...she looked at me, and said 'help'...but I couldn't do anything.” She began to cry and Stiles reached his hand out to place on the top of hers._

  
  


_Lydia realized she was glaring at them and cleared her throat. “Um...what were you guys doing out in the woods anyway?”_

  
  


_Caitlyn shrugged. “It was officially summer vacation and we were going to camp...you know...by ourselves...alone.” Caitlyn sighed. “She's never...been...with anyone before.” She swallowed. “I guess now she'll never be.”_

  
  


_Stiles looked over at Lydia, and that's when she realized she'd subconsciously reached for him, grabbing onto the thin fabric of his shirt. She wasn't sure why she'd done it. Maybe it was hearing Caitlyn talk about her girlfriend in the past tense that made her grateful that Stiles was still here. Her best friend. Or maybe it was the talk of first times that made her reach for hers. She didn't know. She slowly removed her hand, almost embarrassed. With the way she'd caught herself reacting to Caitlyn and Stiles, she didn't want either of them to think she was trying to assert her position as Stiles's...whatever... because she wasn't...and they weren't actually dating-per their agreement._

  
  


_Lydia slowly turned away, but felt Stiles's hand wrap around her own and she looked down._

  
  


“ _We'll let you get some rest,” Stiles told Caitlyn._

  
  


“ _I'm sorry for your loss,” Lydia told her softly._

  
  


“ _Thank you,” Caitlyn managed a small smile._

  
  


_Stiles and Lydia walked out of the room, and before either could say anything, Melissa, who was standing at the desk, turned around. “Stiles!”_

  
  


“ _Mom!” Stiles replied, and began to take a few steps toward her._

  
  


“ _Lydia!” Lydia turned her head to see Aubrey walking toward them, and the strawberry blonde took a few steps toward her, letting Stiles's hand go in the process._

  
  


“ _Were you looking for me?” Lydia heard Melissa ask her son, but didn't hear his response because that was the moment Aubrey caught up with her._

  
  


“ _Sweetie, Aaron told me what happened. I'm so sorry. My son is an idiot. Are you okay?”_

  
  


_Lydia chuckled. “I'm fine, Aubrey. Really. You know...Aaron needed to be single. I don't think the long distance thing would have worked out. It's probably better to break up in person now than over the phone later. You know?”_

  
  


“ _Yeah...”Aubrey said slowly. “You know...you're being surprisingly calm about all of this...”_

  
  


“ _Am I not normally calm?” Lydia, asked semi-frantically._

  
  


“ _No! That's not what I meant... it's just... The way he told me about it... he made it sound like you were really upset. That's all. But it's good you're not!”_

  
  


_Lydia shrugged. “I mean.. I was when it first happened, but...I've thought about it, and I really liked Aaron, but I didn't love him...you know? I mean... I think I wanted to love him, but you can't force yourself to feel that way about people. Right?”_

  
  


_Aubrey nodded slowly. “Well, I'm glad you're okay.”_

  
  


“ _Thanks, Aubrey,” Lydia smiled._

  
  


“ _Lyds!” Stiles called and Lydia turned back to look at him. He tilted his head toward the door, telling her he was headed out._

  
  


“ _My ride's leaving,” Lydia told Aubrey as she turned back to her._

  
  


“ _Oh, okay...yeah...let me know if you need anything.”_

  
  


“ _Will do!” Lydia told her cheerily before quickly trying to catch up with Stiles._

  
  


 

* * *

 

  
  


“ _What were you talking to Aubrey about?” Stiles asked as they walked out of the hospital._

  
  


“ _Nothing really...she was just asking how I was doing post-break up.”_

  
  


“ _Ahh...”_

  
  


“ _Yeah...what were you telling your mom about?”_

  
  


_Lydia hadn't seen the phone in Stiles's hand until that moment. “The same thing I'm about to tell my dad about,” he said as he put the phone to his ear. “Hey, Dad. Lydia and I are leaving the hospital right now. We spoke to Caitlyn. She said she was paralyzed...Emily was too...yeah... I'm thinking maybe you should tell Deaton, or let Scott tell him. Find out if there's something that can do that...maybe even something that looks like a lizard.” Stiles nodded, even though his dad couldn't see it. “Yeah, you're welcome.... Love you too.” He hung up the phone and put it away._

  
  


“ _So...Caitlyn...” Lydia began after a moment. “Wasn't she one of your rebound girls?”_

  
  


“ _Yeah...it lasted for a couple of weeks.”_

  
  


_Lydia nodded slowly. “I never really saw her face. You were always too busy sucking it off when I'd pass you.”_

  
  


_Stiles raised an eyebrow and turned to face her. “Am I sensing jealousy?”_

  
  


“ _No!” she said quickly._

  
  


_Stiles let out a laugh as he threw his arm around her shoulders. “Yeah...okay.”_

  
  


_Lydia bit her lip, debating whether or not she wanted to ask the question in the forefront of her mind.”Um...how was she?” Stiles turned back to her. “I mean... was she...you know...”_

  
  


“ _Better than you?” he supplied. Lydia felt a blush creep into her cheeks. “No,” he said softly. “No one's better than you.”_

  
  


“ _Not even Allison?” she didn't know why she asked. She horrified herself that she'd even entertain the thought. Stiles stopped walking and he stared wide-eyed. “I'm sorry,” she quickly apologized. “Forget I said anything,” she told him, then briskly walked ahead._

 


End file.
